Banryeo Maru Memorial Hall, Gyeonggi Province's first public pet funeral facility, opened in Yeoju on Wednesday.
According to Gyeonggi Province on Thursday, the memorial hall is located at 355 Myeongpum-ro in Yeoju, spanning a total floor area of 696.2 square meters (approximately 211 pyeong) across two stories. The facility is equipped with two animal cremation furnaces, three memorial rooms, an embalming room, and 408 ossuary units. It will be operated under a private consignment arrangement, with Animal Companion Co. selected as the operator through an open bidding process.
As a public facility, its key advantage lies in fees that are lower than those of private operators. Gyeonggi residents receive a 10 percent discount on cremation service fees, while Yeoju citizens, persons of national merit, people with disabilities, low-income households, and other vulnerable groups are eligible for a 50 percent discount.
"Banryeo Maru Memorial Hall is not merely a funeral facility, but a space where people can remember the precious time spent with their companion animals and bring meaningful closure to their final moments," said Lee Kang-young, director general of the Livestock and Animal Welfare Bureau at Gyeonggi Province. "We hope that more residents will be able to use the facility through its public-interest function of easing the economic burden on vulnerable groups."
