Remains of 7 fallen soldiers from Korean War laid to rest in burial ceremonies

Service members from the Agency for Killed-in-Action Recovery and Identification unit carry the remains of fallen soldiers from the 1950-53 Korean War during a joint burial ceremony at Daejeon National Cemetery in the central city of Daejeon, Monday. Courtesy of Republic of Korea Army

Remains of seven fallen soldiers from the 1950-53 Korean War were laid to rest Monday following nearly two decades of search and recovery efforts, the Army said.

The joint burial ceremonies took place at two national cemeteries, located in Seoul and the central city of Daejeon, for the war heroes who fought across front-line and rear battlefields during the three-year conflict, the Army said in a release.

In accordance with their families' wishes, five of the soldiers were laid to rest in Seoul, while the remaining two were buried in Daejeon. Four were lower-ranking soldiers and three were non-commissioned officers.

Attending the burial ceremony in Daejeon, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Kim Gyu-ha stressed the nation's duty to honor the sacrifices made to defend its freedom and peace.

"The freedom and peace we enjoy today were built upon the noble sacrifices of our patriotic heroes and countless fellow veterans," he said in a memorial address. "Remembering their great devotion and paying them the highest honor is a historical obligation that we must fulfill."

The soldiers' remains were recovered between 2007 and 2025 and conclusively identified through DNA comparisons with surviving family members.