Suwon Microscope by Kim Chung-young (132) Suwon Yeonhwa Memorial Park Construction: Reborn as "a Sanctuary for the Soul" Through Difficult and Challenging Paths

The construction of a crematory in Hadong, Suwon, was a difficult and arduous path from the very beginning of site selection. Residents of Uiui-dong (legal district of Uiui-dong and Hadong) immediately formed a countermeasures committee to oppose the relocation of the crematory and launched an organized opposition campaign.

When the relocation site was announced on February 10, 1995, just five days later on the 15th, approximately 400 residents held a protest rally at Olympic Park in front of City Hall. The residents argued that it was unfair for the relocation site of the crematory to be confirmed before the urban planning facility (crematory) was decided according to the procedures of the Urban Planning Act.

On the 14th, one day earlier, 37 heads of communities and sub-communities in Uiui-dong submitted their resignations in opposition to the decision on the crematory relocation site. They argued that since 1972, the area had been designated as Woncheon Recreation Area, causing residents to suffer disadvantages. They claimed that after the garbage transfer station was built, having a crematory as well would be disrespectful to residents, and they could not accept Suwon City's unilateral decision.

On February 17, another protest was held in front of the Uiui-dong sanitation garage with approximately 200 residents demanding the withdrawal of the crematory relocation. During this aggressive protest, two people were injured and were evacuated for treatment.

On March 2, a third protest was held at Olympic Park in front of City Hall. About 200 participants chanted opposition to the crematory relocation to Uiui-dong and demanded that the collective village in the Uiui-dong area be developed as a 'natural settlement district' and that the 'Woncheon Recreation Area development plan' be established and developed promptly.

On March 15, residents from the adjacent Sanghyeon-ri in Yongin County also joined the protest. Approximately 130 people held a demonstration strongly opposing the construction of a crematory in Uiui-dong. By this point, about 940 people had participated in four rounds of collective protests, actively opposing the crematory relocation.

In addition to launching opposition protests, 632 residents submitted complaints and petitions opposing the crematory relocation to Suwon City, Gyeonggi Province, and the Board of Audit and Inspection on February 23, 1995. On March 2, resident representatives from Sanghyeon-ri in Yongin County and 1,320 others submitted a petition opposing the crematory relocation. Suwon City held several sincere talks with resident representatives and found signs of opinion convergence.

On May 20, eight resident representatives submitted a 'petition to withdraw the crematory relocation and installation plan,' and requested detailed information including the legalization of existing houses within Woncheon Recreation Area and permission for new construction, the establishment of a comprehensive development plan for Uiui-dong, and data on whether the crematory relocation would generate pollution.

Suwon City compiled residents' requests and announced a comprehensive development plan for Uiui-dong. ▷Designation and development promotion of 11 natural villages in Uiui-dong as 'natural settlement areas' ▷Securing and promoting 100 million won in project costs for establishing a Woncheon Recreation Area development plan ▷Implementation of water and sewage facility projects in natural villages ▷Opening of six village access roads totaling 6,400 meters. These plans were announced.

Regarding residents' request for the operation of a funeral hall within the crematory by the village, Suwon City announced that if a request was made in the name of 'joint resident representatives' council' in accordance with legal procedures, it would be entrusted to the village after approval by Suwon City Council.

On March 27, 1995, Suwon City held a 'crematory facility new construction design competition' to expedite the crematory relocation project. Regarding the funeral hall, crematory, and ossuary, Suwon City provided design guidelines stating they 'must not detract from urban aesthetics, must not cause repulsion, must symbolize filial piety, possess grand and solemn aesthetic qualities, be convenient and create no sense of rejection, and must become a cutting-edge exemplary building with long-term vision.'

The application period was from March 28 to April 6, 1995, with plans to adopt the 'winning entry' as the basic plan and conclude a design service contract. When applications closed on April 6, 1995, a total of 17 architectural firms submitted entries, showing keen interest.

On May 19, 1995, 16 members were appointed as work review committee members to facilitate smooth administrative implementation. Committee members included four people from Suwon City including the mayor, the city council speaker and the chair of the City Council's social and economic committee, professors, and resident representatives from Uiui-dong.

During the review process of the Suwon crematory design competition entries, the mayoral election for the first directly elected mayor proceeded, causing the work selection process to be postponed. When Shim Jae-deok won as a candidate for the first elected Suwon mayor beginning July 1, 1995, crematory work that had been halted began to be fully implemented.

The review of Suwon crematory design competition entries was conducted confidentially on September 26, 1995, and architect Kim Dong-hun's work from Jin-woo Comprehensive Architecture was selected as the 'winning entry.'

CEO Kim Dong-hun stated, "The spirit of Suwon Yeonhwa Memorial Park was people. We made efforts to create architecture that respects both the deceased and the living. Suwon Yeonhwa Memorial Park was designed in the shape of 'human form.'"

This work was evaluated as having achieved familiarity and openness with surrounding areas, and as being an environmentally friendly comprehensive funeral facility serving as a central urban facility.

In January 1996, full-scale design began. After basic and detailed designs for the funeral hall, crematory, and ossuary were completed, the design had to undergo review by the Gyeonggi Province Local Design Review Committee. Subsequently, in February 1996, Daewoo Engineering and Construction was selected as the construction contractor.

Upon commencing design for construction, the detailed design and traffic impact assessment for Suwon Yeonhwa Memorial Park were completed, and finally, on December 31, 1997, construction of Suwon Yeonhwa Memorial Park began. When the construction access road was completed in April 1998, Suwon Yeonhwa Memorial Park was completed on August 8, 2000, after three years of construction at a cost of 35.5 billion won.

Suwon Yeonhwa Memorial Park is a state-of-the-art crematory facility adopting smokeless, odorless operation and a real-time pollution gas monitoring system. By subsequently presenting a new paradigm for comprehensive funeral facilities across the nation, Suwon City became a leading city in funeral culture.

Suwon Yeonhwa Memorial Park includes ▷Memorial House (ossuary) ▷Ascension Garden (crematory) ▷Funeral Hall ▷Scattering Garden ▷Memorial Tower. It is equipped with nine crematoriums, bereaved family waiting rooms, bone-grinding rooms, receiving rooms, and incense halls.

Suwon Yeonhwa Memorial Park was the first to receive the designation of 'comprehensive funeral facility.'

It received the 'Republic of Korea Environmental Culture Award' on December 13, 2000, and the '2002 Korean Architectural Culture Award' on November 22, 2002.

On May 29, 2009, the national funeral of former President Roh Moo-hyun was held, and on May 27, 2012, on the third anniversary of former President Roh Moo-hyun's passing, a memorial monument was erected at Suwon Yeonhwa Memorial Park.

On April 24, 2010, the cremation ceremony for six Cheonan warship victims was held at Suwon Yeonhwa Memorial Park.

Following the Sewol ferry disaster on April 16, 2014, cremation ceremonies for 208 victims from the Ansan area were conducted. Mayor Shim Jae-deok, who built this facility, was also cremated here after his death and had his funeral held here.

Suwon Yeonhwa Memorial Park was built through the vision of Lee Sang-ryong, the 20th mayor, and the strong determination of Shim Jae-deok, the first directly elected mayor.

In particular, it is evaluated as a representative case that exemplarily resolved the 'NIMBY' (Not In My Back Yard) trend.