First Funeral

First Funeral Company, operating the platform 'Cheotjang' (First Funeral), is a South Korean startup that provides a comprehensive online platform for funeral services. It was founded by Jang Won-bong, who spun the company off from the Kyowon Group, a major South Korean conglomerate. The service originated as an in-house venture which won a competition before being established as an independent corporation in November 2024.

Jang Won-bong's background as the former head of the Kyowon Life department and his 18 years of experience within the Kyowon Group, including managing funeral homes, gave him direct insight into the challenges families face during bereavement. He identified a need for a more transparent and accessible way to handle funeral arrangements, which are often made under pressure and with limited information. The platform aims to modernize a traditionally opaque industry by allowing users to compare prices, facilities, and services of funeral halls and burial sites across the nation.

Cheotjang's core service allows users to search and compare over 1,000 funeral homes and 100 burial sites (including columbariums and natural burial grounds) based on location, price, and facilities. The platform also offers a range of related services such as 24/7 mortuary transport, professional burial site consulting, online obituary notices, and online memorial services. The business generates revenue through ancillary services like online obituaries and has secured seed funding to enhance its technological capabilities and expand its database. Having achieved profitability within a month of its official launch, the company aims to become a global standard for digital funeral platforms, with plans for overseas expansion into Asian markets.

Keywords: funeral platform, burial site comparison, funeral services, end-of-life planning, mortuary services, columbarium search, natural burial, funeral arrangements, obituary service, memorial services, South Korea, Silver Tech, digital funeral, funeral home directory, burial plot marketplace, bereavement support, end-of-life care, funeral planning, memorialization, funeral technology