"Please Leave the Wreaths Behind"... Funeral Homes Can No Longer Dispose of Them Without the Bereaved Family’s Consent

[Financial News] From now on, funeral homes will not be allowed to dispose of wreaths sent by mourners without the consent of the bereaved family. Uncooked outside food such as fruit and beverages will also be permitted.
According to the Korea Fair Trade Commission on the 25th, the KFTC revised the 'standard terms and conditions for funeral homes' to include these measures.
Until now, some funeral homes were known to prevent bereaved families from disposing of wreaths themselves, then sell them to collection and reuse companies. Others imposed blanket restrictions on outside food, drawing complaints from consumers.
In fact, complaints filed through e-People said some funeral homes demanded that wreaths be sold off at a low price, or threatened to disadvantage families if they tried to dispose of them themselves. There were also complaints that some homes charged about 6 million won more than the originally quoted funeral cost.
The revised terms make clear that wreaths sent by mourners belong to the bereaved family. As a result, funeral homes must consult the family in advance before disposing of any wreaths.
New rules on outside food were also added. Uncooked items such as fruit, beverages and alcoholic drinks may be brought in. Cooked food brought from outside, including rice, soup, jeon and rice cakes, is in principle restricted to prevent food poisoning and other hygiene-related incidents. However, it may be allowed in exceptional cases if the operator and the user agree in advance.
The funeral service fee structure has also been clarified by breaking it down into items such as facility rental fees, funeral-related charges, funeral supplies, and cleaning and management costs. The revised terms also require operators to explain these costs to consumers before signing a contract.
However, the use of the standard terms is not legally mandatory. The KFTC plans to post the revised terms on its website and notify business groups and others, strongly encouraging funeral homes to adopt them.

[email protected] Seong Min-seo Reporter