THAAD may cause setback in repatriation of remains of Chinese soldiers

By Jun Ji-hye

Concerns are being raised that the planned deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system in Korea could cause a setback in a project to repatriate the remains of Chinese soldiers who were killed in the 1950-53 Korean War.

The humanitarian project first began in 2014 after President Park Geun-hye offered to repatriate the remains of the fallen soldiers to their homeland during a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013.

For the past three years, working-level officials of the two countries have held meetings in late January or early February, and repatriated the remains in late March. But the two sides have failed to set a schedule for a meeting this year as of Tuesday.

“We asked China to hold a working-level meeting in late January or early February as we have done for the past three years. But we have not received a definite answer,” a Ministry of National Defense official said on condition of anonymity.

Previous meetings have been held on Jan. 22 of 2014, Feb. 10 of 2015 and Jan. 28 of 2016.

Observers say Beijing’s ongoing protest against Seoul’s decision to allow the United States Forces Korea to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here might have resulted in China’s lukewarm attitude to the project, raising the possibility that it could be suspended.

They cited that China has taken various actions in retaliation against the deployment including cutting off mutual exchanges.

But the ministry official tried to remove concerns, saying even if the meeting is held later than usual, the repatriation of the remains can be implemented in late March as the two sides have carried out the project every year for three years, so there are not many things to be prepared beforehand.

He added that China would also want its fallen soldiers to return home.

Seoul repatriated 437 remains in 2014, 68 in 2015 and 36 in 2016. This year, it plans to repatriate about 20, according to the ministry.