A group funeral for deceased individuals whose families and relatives refused to claim their bodies is held by public officials of Gimcheon City, North Gyeongsang Province, Jan. 24. Courtesy of Gimcheon City

The number of deceased individuals whose families and relatives refused to claim their bodies increased 83 percent in 2023 from three years earlier, data showed Sunday.

According to data compiled by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, released by Rep. Chang Jong-tae of the Democratic Party, the number of such unclaimed bodies with known next of kin reached 4,052 in 2023, rising sharply from 2,217 recorded in 2020.

Unclaimed bodies refer to deceased individuals whose relatives are either unknown or, though identified, decline to claim the body due to various reasons, such as financial difficulties or personal circumstances.

The total number of unclaimed bodies, meanwhile, reached 5,415 in 2023, up 72.7 percent from 3,136 recorded in 2020.

Males accounted for 4,108 of such bodies in 2023, up 74.2 percent from three years earlier, while females accounted for 1,216, an increase of 84.5 percent over the same period.

By region, the southern port city of Busan recorded the highest number of unclaimed deaths per 100,000 people at 18.8, followed by the southern resort island of Jeju with 14.3 and Gangwon Province with 13.4.

The capital city of Seoul reported 13 unclaimed deaths per 100,000 people, the data showed.

"The rise in the number of unclaimed bodies highlights the inadequacy of the social safety net," the lawmaker said, stressing that the government should take proactive measures to address such lonely deaths. (Yonhap)