Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

At Incheon Airport on March 20, Korea presented to China the remains of 68 Chinese who died during the 6·25 Korean War.

The handing-over ceremony was jointly organized by the Korean Vice Minister Baek Seung-joo and Vice Minister of the Department of Civil Affairs Dou Yupei and attended by delegations from the two countries and important people.

The handing-over of Chinese remains was realized by the motion of President Park Geun-hye in 2013, and after a nine-month promotion, 437 remains were repatriated to their homeland for the first time with great interest and consideration of both leaders in March of last year. And during the first and second Korea-China working level consultation held before the first handing-over, both leaders agreed to present the Chinese remains regularly before the Chinese holiday Qīngmíng Festival, on the 5th day of April. Accordingly, the remains found after the first handing-over ceremony have been decided to be repatriated. Prior to the ceremony, on March 16, the MND had a casketing ceremony at a temporary morgue for Chinese remains prepared at 25th Army Division in Jeokseong-myeon, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do. Five Chinese people attended, including the defense attaché, Du Nong Yi, from the Chinese embassy in Korea. Those remains will be buried in Shenyang, Liaoning. 

Vice Minister Baek said, “As President Park Geun-hye says that the Chinese bereaved families want their family members to be returned home, both countries can get over any difficulties if we understand each other for our common prosperity. This is the 70th anniversary of Liberation Day as well as the 70th year of the division of Korea into north and south. I hope this will make a contribution to peace in the Korean Peninsula.”

By Chul-Hwan, Kim <droid001@dema.mil.kr>

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