Remains of Korean War Fallen Soldiers Buried in the US to Return Home

Remains Transfer Ceremony Held on the 26th at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii

The remains of seven Republic of Korea (ROK) soldiers who died in the Korean War and are temporarily interred in Hawaii, USA, will return to their homeland after 73 years.

Deputy Minister of National Defense Shin Beom-cheol visited Hawaii, USA, to receive the remains of South Korean soldiers who died in the Korean War. On the 24th (local time), he visited the Indo-Pacific Command, met with Commander John C. Aquilino, who generously assisted in the repatriation of the remains, and took a commemorative photo. (Photo by Ministry of National Defense)

On the 25th, the Ministry of National Defense announced that to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, a 'ROK War Dead Remains Handover Ceremony' will be held at 6 a.m. Korean time on the 26th at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii.

More than 50 members of the war dead remains handover delegation, including Shin Beom-cheol, Vice Minister of National Defense, will attend the ceremony. They departed on the 23rd from Korea to Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii aboard the ROK Air Force's multipurpose aerial refueling transport aircraft (KC-330).

The Ministry of National Defense stated, "This event was organized to embody the nation's infinite responsibility to remember the dedication of our patriotic heroes to the very end in the name of the free Republic of Korea," and added, "It was planned to respectfully bring home the remains of seven ROK war dead temporarily interred at the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)."

The seven war dead were recovered through the "Korean War Identification Project (KWIP)," which verifies the identities of remains excavated in North Korean territory. KWIP includes remains excavated solely by North Korea and repatriated to the U.S., as well as those jointly excavated by U.S. forces in North Korea.

Notably, among the remains being repatriated this time, one set (K208) recovered from Jangjin, South Hamgyong Province, was identified as the late Private Choi Im-rak.

Born in 1931, the late Private Choi enlisted around August 1950 in Busan and participated in several fierce battles, including the Incheon Landing Operation. He died in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir on December 12, 1950, at the age of 19. He was also the younger brother of the late Sergeant Choi Sang-rak, who died at age 21 on August 21, 1950, during the Yeongdeok-Pohang Battle defending Pohang, a logistics base on the East Coast, against North Korean forces.

The first repatriation of ROK war dead remains excavated in North Korea and brought to Korea from the U.S. through joint North Korea-U.S. excavation was in 2012. According to the Ministry of National Defense, since 2012, a total of 313 remains, including the seven being repatriated this time, have returned from the U.S. to Korea. Among them, the identities of 19 individuals have been conclusively confirmed.

On the evening of the 26th, when the repatriated remains arrive, a 'ROK War Dead Remains Repatriation Ceremony' will be held at Seoul Airport. Afterwards, the remains will be transported to the Ministry of National Defense's Remains Excavation and Identification Team for detailed examination and DNA testing to confirm their identities.

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