Air Force Military Dog's Funeral Held at Public Memorial Facility…Honoring National Service Animals

An Air Force military dog's funeral was held on the 7th at the 'Banryeo Maru Memorial Hall,' a public animal burial facility located in Yeoju. This was the first time a funeral for a national service animal has been held at this facility.

Gyeonggi Province, which operates this facility, recently enacted the 'Gyeonggi Province Public Animal Burial Facility Management and Operations Ordinance,' which provides up to a 50% reduction in funeral costs when national service animals use the Banryeo Maru Memorial Hall.

Currently, military dogs, police dogs, firefighting dogs, and quarantine and drug detection dogs are mostly treated as medical waste when they die. However, in response to continuing public demands for responsibility regarding post-retirement care and proper treatment of national service animals that have performed public safety duties throughout their lives, Gyeonggi Province has established support measures including the enactment of this ordinance.

Gyeonggi Province plans to introduce the Banryeo Maru Memorial Hall to various organizations including military agencies, police departments, and fire stations to ensure that funerals for national service animals continue to expand.

The 'Banryeo Maru Memorial Hall' located at 355 Myeongpum-ro in Yeoju (Banryeo Maru Yeoju) is Gyeonggi Province's first public animal burial facility, built on two floors with a total floor area of 696.2 square meters. It is equipped with ▲animal crematoriums (2 units) ▲memorial rooms (3 rooms) ▲embalming room ▲enshrinement room (408 spaces).

Meanwhile, the National Assembly is also pushing forward with legislation to strengthen respect for national service animals, and the government is also promoting the establishment of a Retired Service Animal Support Center (tentative name), indicating that support for national service animals is expected to increase further.

Byun Hee-jung, director of Banryeo Maru at Gyeonggi Province, said, "Providing a proper end to the lives of national service animals who have dedicated themselves to the nation and its people throughout their lives is a necessary form of respect." He added, "We will fulfill our public role so that a mature pet culture and a funeral culture that takes responsibility for the final moments of life can take root."