Page 301 - 2020 Defence White Paper

US and the MND briefs the progress of remains recovery to the families at these
meetings which facilitates the alliance between the two nations. In particular, as
agreed at the 2019 annual meeting, a repatriation ceremony was held in June 2020 for
the believed to be ROK remains to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean
War at custody of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). 30)

Repartiation of the remains of ROK soldiers from the Return of remains of Chinese soldiers (September
US DPAA (June 2020) 2020)

Council of Organizations Related to the Remains MOU signed between the MND and the National Chapter 7
Recovery Project (October 2019) Agricultural Cooperative Federation (December 2019)

DNA sampling of
bereaved families of KIAs
Since 2014, the MND also cooperates with China on remains recovery. Based on during Korean War
international law and humanitarian spirit, the two nations agreed to repatriate the
30)
recovered remains, starting with 437 remains until 117 in 2020, a total of 716 Chinese As a US agency
specializing in identifying
remains were repatriated up to date. military personnel killed
in action, it is engaged
Remains recovery becomes more difficult by the day as the terrains of the in activities around the
battlefields continue to change due to land development and also because family world in search of missing/
unrecovered fallen in past
members pass away. Moreover, despite the large number of the recovered remains, wars involving the US
only 1.3% have been identified due to lacking DNA samples and difficulties in 31)
Under the Prime Minister’s
collecting samples. Directive No. 647, it is a
consultative body launched
Public interest and participation is desperate, so the MND redoubles its best since 2009 participated
in by high officials from 12
endeavors to raise awareness by cooperating with associated agencies through the government agencies each
year such as the Ministry of
annual Council of Organizations Related to the Remains Recovery Project. In Interior and Safety.
31)

Chapter 7. Embedding an Inclusive Culture in the Military: With the People, Trusted by the People