And the repatriation of the 64 soldiers was not an easy process... with South Korea and the U.S. having conducted joint identification tests three times in 2011, 2015, and 2018.
Our Park Hee-jun has more on how the fallen heroes were able to return home. 64 South Koreans who died during the Korean War nearly 70 years ago,... finally get to rest in peace after a long-awaited journey home.
The remains were first excavated through joint operations by North Korea and the U.S.,... between 1996 and 2005 in the North's Hamgyeongnam-do and Pyeongannam-do provinces.
Believed to be troops who fought alongside U.S. forces,... they were transferred to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in Hawaii for identification.
Their forensics experts confirmed that a great many of the casualties were Asian-- information that was sent to Seoul's defense ministry earlier this year.
South Korea and the U.S. conducted joint identification tests on the bodies three times in 2011, 2015, and 2018.
And results showed that the remains were those of South Korean troops who fought during the Korean War.
A repatriation ceremony for the war dead,... was held in Hawaii where South Korea's Vice Defense Minister Suh Choo-suk accepted the remains from the DPAA.
The 64 sets of bodies were then,... finally returned home on Sunday.
According to the defense ministry,... 28 sets of remains have been returned so far on three occasions.
But this is the largest such repatriation of South Korean soldiers made by the DPAA.
After respects were paid to the fallen war heroes on Monday, which marks the 70th Armed Forces Day,... the 64 sets of remains will be sent to South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense for KIA Recovery and Identification.
It will identify the individuals so that they can once again be reunited with their families.
Park Hee-jun, Arirang News.