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Korea, U.S. reaffirm cooperation in joint search for Korean War remains

Published: 11 Aug. 2025, 13:54

This photo, provided by the Defense Ministry, shows Lee Keun-won, right, the head of the ministry's agency for KIA (Killed in Action) Recovery and Identification, posing with Kelly McKeague, director of the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), after signing a revised agreement on Aug. 6. [YONHAP]

Korea and the United States have agreed to bolster cooperation in jointly searching for and repatriating the remains of soldiers killed while fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War, the Defense Ministry in Seoul said Monday.

A delegation of the ministry's Agency for KIA (Killed in Action) Recovery and Identification made the commitment during its annual talks with the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) in Washington last week, focusing on joint cooperation in excavation projects.

During the talks, the two sides agreed to cooperate in the search and excavation of fallen soldiers from each country, as well as in forensic identification efforts.

They also discussed the timing of planned repatriations of seven remains from the United States and three from Korea, with next June or the July 27 UN Forces Participation Day considered as potential dates for the returns.

Additionally, both sides agreed to repatriate the remains of four Turkish war dead, currently held by the DPAA, to Korea later this month, where they will be laid to rest at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Korea in the southeastern city of Busan in November.

Lee Keun-won, the head of the Korean agency who led the delegation, also visited the Korean War Veterans Association in New Jersey and met with U.S. veterans who fought in the Korean War.

Korea and the United States have been holding the meeting annually since 2011 to enhance cooperation on the search operations for the remains of fallen soldiers from the Korean War.

Yonhap