Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Private first class Jung Man-dae who died during the war finally returned to his family after 66 years

On October 6, the MND Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification (hereinafter referred to as MAKRI) visited the house of the late Private First Class Jung Man-dae (estimated to be born in 1980), who fought in the 6·25 Korean War with the 1st regiment, the Capital Division, and died in action in July of 1950. At the house, the agency held ‘a ceremony for return of the patriotic hero’ by conveying a letter of identification, consolation plaque, and the Taegeukgi that covered his coffin to his nephew Jung Sang-beom (57 years old).

Private First Class Jung Man-dae was the second oldest of five brothers born in a country village, Yeonan-eup, Yeonan-gun, Hwanghae-do. As his parents had moved to Jilin, China, he once lived there, then came back alone to Korea to see his cousin in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do, for making a living, joining the National Defense Guard in June, 1948.

During the early stage of the war, from July 6 to 13, he belonged to the 1st regiment, the Capital Division, the subordinate of the 1st Army Corps, and engaged in defensive operations in the area of Jincheon and Mihocheon (Ochang-myeon, Cheongwon-gun) in order to block the advance of the 2nd Division of the North Korean army. He is assumed to have been killed on between July 9 and 10 that year during fierce combat with the North Korean army in the recapturing of Mt. Munan and Mt. Bonghwa, the main line of resistance.

Confirmation of relationship with the bereaved through DNA testing was a critical lead for this identification as well. His biological younger brother Jung Geum-dae (73 years old) who is living in Jilin, China, provided a DNA sample when he was briefly living in Korea for business during 2010. As the result indicated the very strong possibility that he was a relative of the late Jung, the agency relevant officials visited his 2 nephews living in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do, and conducted further DNA sampling.

This has been the 116th identification of 6·25 Korean War remains since the first excavation in 2000.

By Joo-Hyeong, Lee < jataka@dema.mil.kr >
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