Clan Natural Burial Ground and Tree Burial Forest Report — 2,000㎡ Area Limit and Report Form

Procedure

1. 1. Check the land and restricted areas

   Review the land use plan confirmation and the land (forest) register to check the zoning and land category, and confirm whether the land falls within the restricted areas under Article 17 of the Act and Article 22 of the Enforcement Decree (water source protection zones, agricultural promotion areas, road-adjacent zones, river zones, forest protection zones and others). Residential, commercial and industrial areas cannot be used unless the national land planning laws allow a natural burial ground there. If the clan does not own the land, a written consent for use from the landowner is required.

2. 2. Decide the type and area

   Decide whether to bury bone ash under grass, flowers or trees in a natural burial ground or to use a tree burial forest, and plan an area of 2,000㎡ or less. In a tree burial forest only one marker per tree may be installed, and only by hanging it on the tree; no facilities other than markers and convenience facilities may be placed in a natural burial ground. Bone ash must be buried at least 30㎝ below the surface and mixed with soil if no container is used.

3. 3. Prepare clan resolution documents and drawings

   Prepare documents proving the clan's decision, such as clan bylaws on the burial ground or minutes of a general meeting, along with a survey map and a location map (sketch) or photos showing where the site is. Because the report form requires a manager, it is convenient to decide the clan representative and the manager at the same meeting.

4. 4. Prepare and submit the report

   Fill in the name, location, land category, area, burial type, creator and manager on the Family, Clan Natural Burial Ground Creation (Change) Report under Appended Form No. 16-2 and submit it with the attachments to the funeral affairs department of the city, county or district. The land registration certificate, land use plan confirmation and cadastral or forest maps are checked by the official through shared administrative information. The processing period on the form is 10 days, and a creation report certificate is issued once the report is accepted.

5. 5. Check forest-related reports and change reports

   When a clan tree burial forest report is accepted, temporary mountain land use and tree felling reports are deemed to have been made, but this does not apply to sites of 100㎡ or more, so the forest-related reports must be checked separately. To change the area, markers, or creator or manager after creation, file a change report on the same form with a change plan and drawings. Records of burials must be kept.

Required documents

• Family, Clan Natural Burial Ground Creation (Change) Report (Enforcement Rule of the Act on Funeral Services, Etc., Appended Form No. 16-2)
• Clan bylaws on creating the natural burial ground or documents proving the clan's decision (general meeting minutes, etc.)
• Survey map
• Location map (sketch) or photos showing where the natural burial ground is
• Document proving the land is owned by the clan, or the landowner's written consent for use
• Change plan and change drawings (for change reports)
• Letter of authorization (when submitted by an agent)

Fees

Typically tens of thousands to several hundred thousand won across the industry · We will advise after consultation, depending on whether the land falls in a restricted area, whether the clan minutes and survey map are ready, and whether forest-related reports for a tree burial forest are handled together. Survey costs are separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Act on Funeral Services, Etc. Article 14
• Act on Funeral Services, Etc. Article 16
• Act on Funeral Services, Etc. Article 17
• Act on Funeral Services, Etc. Article 31
• Act on Funeral Services, Etc. Article 42
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on Funeral Services, Etc. Article 8
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on Funeral Services, Etc. Article 19
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on Funeral Services, Etc. Article 21
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on Funeral Services, Etc. Article 21-2
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on Funeral Services, Etc. Article 22
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on Funeral Services, Etc. Appended Table 2
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on Funeral Services, Etc. Appended Table 4
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on Funeral Services, Etc. Appended Table 5
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on Funeral Services, Etc. Appended Table 7
• Enforcement Rule of the Act on Funeral Services, Etc. Article 11-2
• Enforcement Rule of the Act on Funeral Services, Etc. Appended Form No. 16-2

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-13

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• Each clan may create only one natural burial ground, so a clan that has already reported one must first check the status of the existing site before creating a new one elsewhere.
• A natural burial ground created in violation of Article 17 or Article 16 of the Act may be subject to orders to relocate or modify, close the facility, or prohibit its use under Article 31.

Frequently asked questions