The overwhelming grief experienced by Kim II-nam since his father’s passing 27 years prior resulted in an unexpected choice…he exhumed the grave, cremated his father’s remains, and spent $870 to turn the ashes into gem-like beads.
Kim’s longing to keep a loved one near, even after death, is not unique. Shifts in traditional South Korean perspectives on honoring ancestors, alongside a significant rise in cremation practices, have given rise to niche businesses that cater to individuals who perceive the honoring of an urn with ashes as an inadequate form of mourning.
“Each time I gaze at these beads, I envision my father and reflect on the cherished memories we shared,” reflected Kim, 69, with grey hair.
“In my childhood, I frequently fell asleep in my father’s embrace,” he recalls, tears welling in his eyes as he looks at the blue-green beads, resting on a silk cloth within a ceramic pot on a table.
A decade ago, burials were the norm for six out of ten deceased South Koreans, in accordance with traditional Confucian teachings that emphasize respect for ancestors and regular visits to their graves.
However, there has been a notable transformation in the attitudes of South Koreans regarding the treatment of deceased ones, partially due to Western influences and an assertive governmental initiative encouraging cremation as a space-saving alternative in this small, densely populated nation.
This governmental cremation promotion included public statements, leaflets, and radio announcements. A law enacted in 2000 mandates the removal of graves for anyone buried after that year after a 60-year period.
The outcomes have been remarkable: last year saw a cremation rate so elevated that only three out of ten deceased individuals were buried.
Approximately 500 people have opted to turn their loved ones’ ashes into Buddhist-style beads at Bonhyang, a company located in Icheon, just south of Seoul. Alongside several other companies specializing in ashes-to-beads, Bonhyang has reported consistent growth in recent years.
According to Bae Jae-yul, the founder and CEO of Bonhyang, the beads make it possible for individuals to keep their deceased relatives close to them, regardless of location. He further points out that stored ashes can deteriorate, a statement contested by crematoriums.
“Our beads remain pristine; they do not develop mold or emit unpleasant odors,” he emphasizes.
Bae employs ultra-high temperatures to transform cremated ashes into crystals, which can then be shaped into beads in a 90-minute procedure. The predominant colors are blue-green, with occasional variations in pink, purple, and black.
Bae notes that the ashes of one individual can yield four to five cups of beads, whereas the ashes of younger individuals, having a higher bone density, can produce as many as eight cups of beads.
Bae was not the pioneer in utilizing this technology in South Korea.
A similar bead-making technology was acquired by a meditation organization in the late 1990s, but it proved to be imperfect and did not stay in the public spotlight for long, according to Bae. Recognizing the potential, he purchased the technology and invested several years in enhancing the process.
Bae is confident that his company holds a significant advantage over competitors. His beads consist solely of human remains without any added minerals, a claim he asserts contrasts with what other companies utilize.
Bonhyang’s main competitor, Mikwang, argues that the inclusion of minerals facilitates the faster production of more rounded, gem-like beads at lower temperatures.
Officials from Mikwang state that they have greater business than Bonhyang, yet they have declined to share their profits. Bae also chose not to reveal any business specifics. The Health Ministry has stated that no special government license is required to establish an ashes-to-beads enterprise, affirming the individual’s right to decide on the disposal of remains of loved ones.
This burgeoning industry has faced some backlash.
“They are primarily focused on generating profits,” says Do Young-hoon, a researcher specializing in South Korea’s funeral culture.
“The most profound way to honor the deceased is to return them to nature.”
The concept of transforming the deceased into beads was attempted in the United States, Europe, and Japan in earlier times, but it generally failed as very few perceived it as a conventional method for body disposal, notes Park Tae-ho, chief researcher at the Korea National Council for Cremation Promotion, a civic organization based in Seoul.
Kim, a customer of Bae and a retired high school principal, mentions that convincing his family to support his decision to commemorate his father took some time “because they believed a ghost might accompany these beads into our home.”
Each morning, Kim, who is Catholic, prays to the beads of his father, which he displays on a bookshelf. He carries some beads in his car and has also gifted some to his five daughters.
Even with loyal clients like Kim, Bae claims that he is still years away from achieving profitability, partly due to the rise of imitators. Nonetheless, he remains optimistic about his enterprise, especially when observing his customers’ joyful responses to the product.
“People are touched,” Bae asserts, “and I believe it’s something meaningful. I’m certain this business will thrive significantly one day.”
Bae mentions that seven Buddhist temples and one Catholic church rent his bead-making equipment. He is also in negotiations regarding his technology with numerous other religious institutions in South Korea, as well as businesses in China, Thailand, Japan, and the Philippines.
The ashes-to-beads businesses may also receive a boost when South Koreans seize the opportunity of the upcoming quadrennial leap month in the lunar calendar for cremations. There exists a traditional belief that the spirits that oversee humans take a break during a leap month, leading many in South Korea to feel less guilty about relocating graves or exhuming their relatives for cremation.
Next year, Kim intends to exhume his mother to create beads from her remains.
“I have also informed my daughters that I wish my ashes to be transformed into beads,” he states.
by John Jackson
