7 Korean War Fallen Soldiers Returned to Homeland After 70 Years

On the morning of the 11th, a soldier is paying tribute with flowers in front of the remains of a presumed UN soldier excavated in the Hwasalmorigojiji area, our side within the Civilian Control Line in Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon Province. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter]Seven South Korean soldiers who died in the Korean War and were excavated in North Korea, transported to Hawaii, USA, and returned to their homeland after 70 years, will rest in peace at the National Daejeon Cemetery.

On the 29th, the Army announced that it would hold a 'Joint Burial Ceremony for the Repatriated Remains of Korean War Fallen Soldiers' at the National Daejeon Cemetery, presided over by Army Chief of Staff Seo Wook, to inter seven soldiers including Corporal Oh Dae-young.

The seven soldiers?Corporal Oh Dae-young, Private Park Jin-sil, Private Choi Jae-ik, Private Jung Jae-sul, Private Ha Jin-ho, Private Kim Jeong-yong, and Private Kim Dong-seong?are among the 147 remains repatriated from Hawaii last month whose identities were confirmed.

The government repatriated South Korean soldiers who died in the Korean War, excavated in North Korea and transferred to Hawaii, to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War.

They were members of the Army Field Finance Unit and the U.S. 7th Infantry Division in November 1950 and are presumed to have died in the fierce Battle of Chosin Reservoir.

Choi Jae-ik’s son, Choi Jeong-il (76), said, "During holidays, we would set up ancestral rites and he used to say, 'My dying wish is to hear news of my father at least once.' Now that wish seems to have been fulfilled, and I am deeply moved."

Kim Jeong-yong’s younger sister, Kim Min-ja (84), said, "My mother lived with a painful heart all her life, saying, 'I cannot enjoy happiness because my son died.'"

About 200 people, including bereaved families, Lee Byung-gu, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Noh Kyu-deok, Security Strategy Secretary of the National Security Office, soldiers from the Gyeryong and Daejeon regions, and soldiers from the U.S. 8th Army Korea Support Group, are expected to attend the burial ceremony. The ceremony will proceed in the order of the national flag salute, salute to the deceased, eulogy, flower offering and incense burning, rifle salute and moment of silence, and escorting of the remains.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.