Korean funeral customs, traditions and mourning in New Zealand
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A traditional Korean funeral lasts about three days, with the family receiving visitors at the funeral hall, and visitors bow twice to the deceased and once to the mourner. Today it is often held in a hospital funeral hall in Korea and cremation is now more common than burial there. In New Zealand, families adapt these customs through a funeral director.
The traditional Korean funeral is a three-day rite rooted in Confucian and shamanic practice, according to a published reference summary. It has been changing, so what a family keeps depends on its faith, its generation and whether relatives can travel. We found 35,664 New Zealanders identified as Korean in the 2018 Census, mostly in Auckland, and the largest religious group among them is Christian, with a sizable minority reporting no religion and a small share Buddhist (see the Wikipedia article on Koreans in New Zealand, which cites Stats NZ). This page is general information, not a guide to one family's rites. We found no New Zealand source for Korean funeral prices, so we give no Korean-specific cost.
The traditional pattern
A general reference (Wikipedia: Korean funeral) describes these points:
- Three days. Traditionally the body stayed at home for three days, and today the funeral is usually held on the third day after death. The page says the period can occasionally extend to five or seven days, depending on the season.
- Several traditions. The rites are linked to Korean Confucianism and indigenous shamanism, and scholars debate which practice comes from which. Many Korean New Zealanders are Christian, so a family may hold a church service instead of, or alongside, the traditional rites.
- A funeral hall. In Korea most hospitals now have a funeral hall, usually converted from the mortuary, and a one-stop service.
- Cremation. Cremation is now more common than burial in Korea.
- Variation. The source stresses that practices vary by time and place and that modern funerals have moved from the home to the hospital and from burial to cremation.
The source does not describe condolence customs such as giving money, and we found no New Zealand source on them, so we do not describe them. Ask a family member what is usual.
Visiting a Korean funeral
The same reference says that modern visitors bow twice to the deceased and once to the mourner. Families holding a Christian service may follow a different order, so watch what the family does and follow its lead. We found no published guide to dress or what to say, so ask the family. In New Zealand, visitors usually come to a funeral home or church, so ask where and when the family receives visitors.
What happens in New Zealand
New Zealand law applies to every funeral. A body cannot be buried or cremated without a cause-of-death certificate or a coroner's authorisation, and a funeral director normally arranges the certificate and registers the death within three working days after the burial or cremation (Govt.nz: Registering a death). A three-day pattern needs planning with the director: where the body is held, when a viewing is possible, and which days the chapel or church is available. FDANZ says families can view at the funeral director's premises, at home or at a marae, and that religious belief decides timing for some people (FDANZ: Funeral and farewell choices).
FDANZ's 2026 report says that for Māori, Pacific peoples and the growing number of Asian New Zealanders a traditional funeral remains the norm, with burial still most common (FDANZ: 2026 Industry Trends Report). That is a group-level statement, and we found no data specific to Korean families on burial against cremation. Our burial or cremation guide compares them.
Returning a person to Korea
FDANZ says repatriation must meet the rules of the sending and receiving countries and the airline, and "compliance can take more time than is desirable" (FDANZ: Repatriation). For ashes, you may carry them as a carry-on item with the correct documentation, and NZ Post does not accept ashes from the general public. We found no sourced cost for moving a body or ashes between New Zealand and Korea. Ask your director for a written estimate, and see our repatriation costs guide.
Work and Income's Funeral Grant can include the reasonable cost of moving a body to or from New Zealand if the person normally lived here when they died, but not if they had left permanently (Work and Income: Map, deceased died in New Zealand but funeral is overseas).
Costs that are published
| Item | Published figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Full funeral with cremation, 50 guests | Average $11,700, range $10,000 to $13,900 | FDANZ 2026 report (2025 survey) |
| Full funeral with burial, 50 guests | Average $14,300, range $12,800 to $17,000 | FDANZ 2026 report |
| Unattended cremation, no service | Average $4,700 | FDANZ 2026 report |
| Chapel hire | $200 to $500 | FDANZ indicative ranges, July 2025 |
| Council cremation fee, Auckland adult | $750 | Auckland Council, read 20 October 2026 |
These are not Korean-specific. Our funeral costs hub and funeral cost guide go further.
Paying for it
The Funeral Grant has a maximum of $2,697.43 as at 1 April 2026 and is tested on income and assets (Work and Income: Funeral Grant). Many Korean New Zealanders have parents or relatives who live here or overseas, and funeral cover can be one way to prepare. An adult child can own a Momentum Life Funeral Insurance policy on a parent, and the parent must be a New Zealander in Momentum's wording, meaning living in New Zealand at application and an NZ or Australian citizen, a permanent resident visa holder, or in New Zealand continuously for at least 12 months on a valid temporary work visa. Entry ages are 40 to 75, the benefit is a fixed $3,000 to $30,000 towards costs, and in the first 24 months it pays only for accidental death within 90 days of the accident. Total premiums can exceed the benefit. Momentum Life Limited is rated B (Fair) by A.M. Best, in the "Vulnerable" range (Momentum Life: Financial Strength). See our guide to funeral insurance for parents and the funeral insurance hub. The buttons on this page open Momentum Life's online application. QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner, and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy a policy.
Written on 20 October 2026. Customs are summarised from a general reference, not a Korean community body, and we have not had this page checked by one. Please confirm details with your family or church.
Adviser's view
A traditional Korean funeral lasts about three days and has changed with modern life, so families in New Zealand differ in what they keep. A funeral director can arrange viewing, chapel time and repatriation, but we found no sourced price for a Korean funeral as a whole, so we give none. The practical gap is cost for a family with parents or relatives overseas.
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Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Korean Funeral Customs NZ: Traditions and Mourning. www.quotehub.co.nz/guides/when-someone-dies/korean-funeral-customs-nz. Updated 2026-10-20.
References
- Wikipedia: Korean funeral
- Wikipedia: Koreans in New Zealand
- Govt.nz: Registering a death
- FDANZ: Funeral and farewell choices
- FDANZ: Repatriation
- FDANZ: 2026 New Zealand Funeral Industry Trends Report (PDF)
- FDANZ: Financial matters
- Auckland Council: Cemetery fees and charges
- Work and Income: Funeral Grant
- Work and Income: Funeral Grant, funeral overseas
- Momentum Life: Financial Strength
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