What is South Korea doing to recover Korean War soldiers’ remains in the second half of 2026?

The defense ministry has started second-half excavation and identification work through Nov. 27. The operation is led by the Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification and involves troops from 14 Army divisions and brigades plus the 1st Marine Division.

Which areas are the Korean War remains recovery teams focusing on?

The teams will work in mountainous areas in more than 20 regions across five provinces. They are especially focusing on Paju, Cheorwon and the southeastern county of Gunwi, which were key battlegrounds during the war.

What did the first-half Korean War remains excavation recover?

From March 9 to July 3, the agency recovered 77 sets of remains and more than 31,000 items believed to be personal belongings of fallen soldiers. The ministry said this was part of its broader effort to bring closure to families of those killed in action or still missing.

Gov't launches 2nd half program to recover remains of fallen Korean War soldiers

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Summary

The defense ministry has launched second-half operations in areas across five provinces to recover and identify the remains of Korean War soldiers. The Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification will work from Monday through Nov. 27, deploying troops from 14 Army divisions and brigades and the 1st Marine Division. The effort focuses on border areas of Paju, Cheorwon and Gunwi, including the Baengmagoji area. The ministry said first-half excavations recovered 77 sets of remains and more than 31,000 personal items.

Key Facts

The excavation project will run from Monday through Nov. 27.
Troops from 14 Army divisions and brigades and the 1st Marine Division will be deployed.
The work will cover mountainous areas in more than 20 regions across Gyeonggi, Gangwon, South Chungcheong, North Jeolla and North Gyeongsang provinces.
The Army’s 5th Division will spend the full three-month period on excavation and recovery in the Baengmagoji area.
During the first-half excavation period from March 9 to July 3, the agency recovered 77 sets of remains and more than 31,000 items believed to be personal belongings of fallen soldiers.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 31, 2026 10:02 am KST

The Ministry of National Defense Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification conducts excavation for the remains of service members killed during the 1950-53 Korean War in Gangwon Province in this undated photo. Courtesy of MND Agency for KIA Recovery & Identification

The defense ministry said Monday it has launched second-half operations to recover and identify the remains of soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War, continuing its efforts to bring closure to families of service members killed in action or still missing.

The Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification under the ministry will carry out the excavation project starting Monday through Nov. 27, deploying troops from 14 Army divisions and brigades, and the 1st Marine Division, the ministry said.

The troops will be deployed to mountainous areas in more than 20 regions across Gyeonggi, Gangwon, South Chungcheong, North Jeolla and North Gyeongsang provinces.

In particular, they plan to focus on the border areas of Paju, Cheorwon and the southeastern county of Gunwi, key battlegrounds against North Korean and Chinese communist forces at the height of the three-year conflict.

The Army's 5th Division, responsible for the Battle of Baengmagoji (White Horse Hill) area, will spend the entire three-month period working on the excavation and recovery of remains in the area, unlike other units that will be deployed for up to six weeks.

The Baengmagoji battle was one of the most intense and bloodiest conflicts of the Korean War. The 10-day fighting that took place northwest of Cheorwon in October of 1952 led to a victory for the U.N.-led allied forces, after South Korean troops successfully defended the strategic hill against a massive Chinese assault.

The ministry said the agency recovered 77 sets of remains and over 31,000 items believed to be personal belongings of fallen soldiers during the first-half excavation period from March 9 to July 3.

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