Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

● Reportage – Repatriation of remains of Korean War dead

On June 24, 2020, one day before the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, 147 sets of remains of Korean troops killed in the North Korea area during the Korean War were returned to the bosom of their country after 70 years. Having previously been believed to be the remains of the United States (US) troops, the remains were originally handed over by North Korea to the US in 2018. After going through DNA analysis, the remains were identified as the remains of Korean troops, and then were sent back to the Republic of Korea (ROK). Departing Seoul, passing through Hawaii, and returning to Seoul … here is the moving journey of two nights and four days, which was reported by Yang Dong-wuk.

Seoul Air Base, evening, June 21
A group of 36 military personnel, consisting of officials from the Ministry of National Defense Agency for KIA Recovery & Identification (MAKRI) and Air Force soldiers, flew to Hawaii on the ROK Air Force’s tanker plane (KC-330) to repatriate the remains of Korean troops, which had been kept and identified by the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency (DPAA). Aside from being honored to be allowed to join this meaningful journey, I was moved as a Korean to learn that this first overseas airlift mission of the ROK Air Force’s newest tanker plane was to bring patriotic heroes back to the bosom of their country after 70 years.

DPAA, morning, June 22 (local time)
In the blazing sunlight, there was activity around the DPAA starting from early morning. Two master sergeants Kang Jeong-deok and Lee Chang-seon, who took charge of handling remains in the MAKRI, were wrapping the remains in the ROK’s national flag (Taegukki). Having been identified by the US soldiers and the ROK’s forensic officials, who had arrived in Hawaii as an advance party, the remains were kept in a wooden box along with Taegukki. The sight of DPAA’s US soldiers holding Taegukki to sincerely join in the ceremony of wrapping the remains in the national flag caught our eyes. As the soldiers carefully wrapping the remains in the national flag were wearing masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was impossible to tell the Koreans from the Americans.

Hickam Air Force Base runway, afternoon, June 22 (local time)
On Monday, on the eve of the day of the official handover event, a truck carrying the remains arrived in front of the ROK Air Force’s tanker plane to lay 146 of the 147 sets of remains in the plane. The Air Force soldiers joining this trip laid the remains on the seats of the tanker plane, not in the cargo compartment, with a sense of reverence and respect. Seeing the soldiers laying the remains on every single seat of the tanker plane, which has the same interior as a civil airplane, clarified the sincere wish to bring the remains home safely and carefully.

Hickam Air Force Base Hangar 19, morning, June 23 (local time)
The repatriation ceremony in Hawaii ended with the laying of the last set of remains in the tanker plane, an act performed by Vice Minister of National Defense Park Jae-min, who had visited Hawaii to manage the repatriation of the Korean troop remains to the country. Having been flown in from the faraway land — Hawaii — over ten hours with the help of the MAKRI and Air Force soldiers, 147 sets of remains of patriotic heroes would be setting foot on the soil of their motherland after 70 years.