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🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Bidding Farewell to the Moment Ordinary Lives Depart [Voice of 6411]

From Hankyoreh · (6m ago) Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The author, an activist for public funerals, describes the distinct seasons at the Seoul Crematorium and a recent funeral where a long-lost brother appeared.
  • The brother shared poignant details about the deceased's life, revealing a strained relationship and a 20-year estrangement before his death.
  • The experience highlights the profound, often unknown, lives of individuals and the role of public funeral services in bearing witness to these ordinary lives.

At the Seoul Crematorium, where the seasons are starkly felt, a public funeral service unfolds. This particular service, known as 'Geurida,' is for individuals whose lives may have passed without extensive notice, yet each passing deserves solemnity and remembrance. The author, an activist involved in these public funerals, recounts a recent experience that underscored the hidden depths of human lives.

The seasons here are particularly distinct.

— Lee Soo-yeon (pen name)Describing the atmosphere at the Seoul Crematorium where she volunteers.

During the service, a man identified as the deceased's elder brother appeared, having been estranged for two decades. Through his hesitant words, a narrative emerged of a life marked by hardship and a deliberate severing of ties, driven by a desire to shield his family from his struggles. The brother's search for his lost sibling, even looking for him in construction sites while driving, revealed a persistent, albeit unfulfilled, hope of reconnection. The finality of the cremation and the subsequent scattering of ashes marked the end of this long period of absence and uncertainty.

How did you get here?

— Funeral service staffAsking the man who identified himself as the deceased's brother.

This encounter serves as a powerful reminder of the anonymous lives that pass through public funeral services. While the deceased's final moments and cause of death often remain unknown to the organizers, the presence of a relative, however estranged, offers a glimpse into a personal history. The author emphasizes that these are not extraordinary deaths, but the passing of ordinary individuals who navigated the complexities of life, love, and loss. The service becomes a testament to their existence, a final act of bearing witness to lives that might otherwise be forgotten. The activists, in their role as witnesses, acknowledge the weight of each life, recognizing that even unknown struggles and triumphs contribute to the fabric of our shared human experience.

My brother's name is...

— Deceased's elder brotherIdentifying himself to the funeral service staff.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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