Korea, US launch coastal search for service members lost in Korean War

The Ministry of National Defense headquarters in Seoul / Yonhap

Korean and American recovery teams began a monthlong joint search Monday for the remains of U.S. service members who are missing in action (MIA) or killed in action (KIA), along with prisoners of war (POW), from the 1950-53 Korean War, focusing on coastal waters and crash sites where military aircraft went down decades ago.

The four-week survey, focused on the coastal regions of Gangneung and Yangyang, aims to trace wreckage from U.S. military aircraft that crashed during the conflict. The effort by the Ministry of National Defense's Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification and the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) will serve as groundwork for a joint underwater recovery operation scheduled for August.

Through May 1, investigators will gather testimony from local residents and assess civilian medical facilities like decompression chambers to ensure the safety of divers during the mission this summer.

The primary target of the planned underwater search is the crash of a transport aircraft that occurred on Nov. 15, 1952. The plane, which departed Gangneung Air Base on its way to Pohang Air Base, went down at sea after an engine malfunction, leaving nine people missing — including the pilot and one Korean service member.

The two agencies will also gather additional information on two other incidents: a fighter aircraft crash off the coast of Yangyang County on Feb. 21, 1952, and a transport aircraft crash near Gangneung on Oct. 16, 1952, that left 17 people unaccounted for.

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jordyn King, deputy team leader of the DPAA survey team, said the unit has been working alongside its Korean counterpart since 2024 and will use the month to collect detailed data in support of the planned underwater operation.

A defense ministry official said the expanded joint effort reflects deepening bilateral cooperation on the recovery of remains, adding that Korea remains committed to supporting the search for American service members who fought alongside its forces.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.