The veterans ministry will take over the management of the Seoul National Cemetery from the defense ministry this week in a push to transform it into a more public-friendly site, officials said Tuesday. The national cemetery in southern Seoul, which houses some 86,500 graves of veterans and people of national merit, has been under the defense ministry's wings since its establishment in 1955. The veterans ministry, which manages the 11 other national cemeteries in the country, has been seeking to oversee the cemetery in the capital since it was upgraded to a full-fledged ministry in June last year. In December, the National Assembly passed an amendment to the National Cemetery Act transferring the national cemetery to the veterans ministry. The revision will take effect Wednesday. The veterans ministry said it plans to revamp the cemetery to make it more accessible to the public and install additional facilities, such as water features similar to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington. It als o said it will work with the Seoul city government to improve pedestrian access from the Han River to the cemetery and expand its gates to create a trail network. "We are committed to transforming the cemetery into a sacred place of national remembrance," Veterans Minister Kang Jung-ai said in an English-language release. Source: Yonhap News Agency