Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

First mutual return of remains of Korean and U.S. war dead

The remains of 15 Koreans who died in North Korea during the 6·25 Korean War have finally been returned home. As well, the remains of two U.S. soldiers who fought to protect freedom and peace in Korea were returned to America from Korea.

Two nations, Korea and the U.S., held a mutual returning ceremony for 6·25 war dead at the military training ground, the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command at Yongsan-gu, Seoul on April 28. The ceremony, organized by Minister of National Defense Han Min-koo and UN Forces Commander Curtis M. Scaparrotti, was attended by approximately 100 key Korean and American personnel, including chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Lee Sun-jin and the Commanding General of the Eighth U.S. army and proceeded with the best respect.

This is very first mutual returning of remains for both countries. The remains of 15 Korean soldiers who were returned home on this day were uncovered in Gujang-gun, Pyeonganbuk-do, Jangjin-gun and Unsan-gun, Hamgyeongnam-do, from 2000 to 2004 by JPAC(Joint Prisoners of war, Missing in Action Accounting Command) in accordance with a U.S.-North Korea agreement.

The U.S. excavation team exhumed around 400 remains in North Korea until 2005 and transferred them to the JPAC headquarters in Hawaii for detailed identification. During this process, 12 were identified as Korean soldiers and returned home in May of 2012.

Those 15 remains that were returned this time were identified after Korean and American professional investigators came and went to both countries 4-5 times for DNA and isotope testing, relevant data analysis and joint identification. The remains will lie in a morgue, MND Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification, until the identities of the remains can be confirmed.

Meanwhile, the two American remains that are being returned to the U.S. were unearthed in 1016 highland at Mt. Baekseok, Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do, in November, last year. So far, our MND has returned 10 American remains and three British remains to the States 8 times since it started exhuming the dead in 2000.

By Byeong-No, Yun < trylover@dema.mil.kr >
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