Joint Investigation of U.S. Military Remains by South Korea and the U.S. Begins
(SEOUL=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Cheol-seon = The Ministry of National Defense Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification announced the commencement of the 2025 project to recover the remains of Korean War heroes who fought in the 6.25 War on the 17th.
This year’s project, which runs until November 28, involves 30 divisions and brigades deployed in 34 regions, including major battlefields from the Korean War such as Yanggu County in Gangwon Province and Chilgok County in North Gyeongsang Province.
The goal for this year is to recover over 220 sets of remains. In the past five years, recovery figures were 481 in 2020, 328 in 2021, 190 in 2022, 202 in 2023, and 219 last year.
Moreover, the agency aims to collect over 12,000 DNA samples from families to identify at least 25 fallen soldiers by comparing these samples with recovered remains.
A joint investigation with the U.S. will also be conducted to recover the remains of U.S. soldiers who were deployed to Korea during the war and lost their lives.
The Ministry of National Defense Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification, together with the U.S. Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, plans to investigate 8 regions, including Pyeongtaek and Yeoncheon in Gyeonggi Province, and Chuncheon, Pyeongchang, and Hongcheon in Gangwon Province, as well as Hongseong in South Chungcheong Province, over a five-week period starting today through April 18.
The U.S. side has dispatched a team consisting of 11 members, including Patrick Anderson, the team leader and captain, as well as historians and archaeologists, while professional personnel from the Ministry of National Defense Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification will also be involved.
Following the conclusion of the joint investigation, both agencies plan to conduct a joint excavation of remains around May to June in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province.