Beliefs About Death

Confucianism, like Taoism, is not a religion but a philosophy. Death is the completion of a life cycle. Death is viewed as a departing of the soul from its body, hopefully only temporarily - like a dream. It is believed that when a person dies he / she changes his or her living place from the yang world to the yin world. For this to be accomplished, permission must be obtained from the yin world. The rites of death have three parts: the effort to recover the deceased, the mourning, and the funeral.

Rites

To avoid taking a false death as a real one, the deceased's intimate would go up to the roof from the front of the house, carrying the clothes of the deceased, then faced north (the direction of the yin world) shouts three times, "So and so, return!" He / She then quickly descends from the back of the house with the clothes, which were believed to still be carrying the wandering soul, to the body. If the person recovered then the soul wandered to another world and was brought back. If there were no recovery the mourning rites would begin.

After this kobok ritual, the bereaved family members bathe the body and put on mourning clothes called so'ngbok which differ in accordance with the relationship with the deceased.

The family members then formally receive condolence bearers. A ritual table is set up to pay respect to the soul of the dead and a bier is prepared which will be carried to the burial ground the following day.

On the following day, the coffin is placed on the bier and a ritual called pal-inje is performed before the bier is carried out to the gravesite. After lowering the casket into the pit, pallbearers stamp on the grave to pack the earth before returning. Traditionally, Confucianists have been buried, but as burial space is becoming scarce in countries where Confucianism is practiced, cremation is becoming more accepted.

Mourning

The mourning rites are of supreme importance. Their exposition takes up the greater part of the Li-ki". They are most elaborate, varying greatly in details and length of observance, according to the rank and relationship of the deceased. The mourning rites for the father are the most elaborate of all. For the first three days, the son, clad in sackcloth of coarse white hemp, fasts, leaps, and wails. After the burial, for which there are many minute prescriptions, the son must wear the mourning sackcloth for twenty-seven months, emaciating his body with scanty food, and living in a rude hut erected for the purpose near the grave. In the 'Analects,' Confucius is said to have condemned with indignation the suggestion of a disciple that the period of the mourning rites might well be shortened to one year.

References:
korea.insights.co.kr/passage/psg_e1.html
www.living4ever.net/apolog/confucianism.htm#Rites