Korea finds families of 94 deceased soldiers following months-long search
President Moon Jae-in speaks at a joint ceremony with the United States at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, Sep. 22, 2021, to transfer the remains of Korean and American soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War. Korea has found the relatives of 94 troops killed in the 1950-53 Korean War or other incidents. Yonhap
Korea has found the relatives of 94 soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War or other incidents decades after their families went out of contact due to the conflict or for other reasons, the defense ministry said Wednesday.
The deceased were among 2,048 troops who died between 1950 and 1986, but whose remains were not returned home. The government launched an inter-agency team in December to trace their next of kin.
"It is the government's firm resolve to remember those who have made sacrifices for the country until the end, no matter how much time has passed," said Jeon Hyun-heui, the head of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.
The commission was part of the inter-agency team that included the defense ministry and the veterans' affairs ministry.
The team said it was able to find the troops' relatives using various methods and materials, such as residential records and cooperation from their families and provincial authorities.
The military plans to continue to seek the relatives of those on the deceased troop list through 2024. (Yonhap)