Remains of 12 Chinese Soldiers from Korean War to Be Returned in Public Ceremony After Three Years

by Yang Nakgyu

Published 21 Apr.2026 09:12(KST)

The Ministry of National Defense will hold the 13th handover ceremony for the remains of Chinese soldiers at Incheon International Airport on April 22.

According to the Ministry of National Defense on April 21, a total of 1,011 remains of Chinese soldiers have been repatriated from 2014 to last year, in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles. This year, 12 remains are scheduled to be returned.

The handover ceremony has been regarded as a symbol of Korea-China exchanges, as it continued without interruption even in 2016 when tensions between Korea and China escalated over the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) issue, as well as during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022.

This year’s ceremony will be held as a public event at the vice ministerial level for the first time in three years, reflecting the spirit of restoring Korea-China relations and good-neighborly friendship. Deputy Defense Minister Lee Doohee is scheduled to attend.