Bringing Them Home: U.S. and South Korea Prepare Final Return of Fallen Soldiers

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The Defense Ministry said its Remains Recovery and Identification Unit and the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) will conduct a joint examination of remains believed to be U.S. service members that were unearthed in South Korea.

The unit said the joint examinations will take place at its Identification Center on the 27th and 28th, with about 10 experts from both countries participating. Since the unit was established in 2007, U.S.-South Korea joint examinations have been held two to four times a year to perform detailed analyses of ROK and U.S. war dead and to strengthen cooperation between the agencies.

Remains recovered in Korea that are believed to be U.S. service members will be examined at the unit’s Identification Center. Remains believed to be South Korean service members that are in DPAA custody will be cross-examined at DPAA’s laboratory at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii.

About 10 experts from both sides will take part in this round of examinations, including Chief Examiner Lee Gyu-sang of the Remains Recovery and Identification Unit, John E. Burd, director of DPAA’s Central Identification Laboratory, and Special Project Manager Jenny Jin (Korean name: Jin Joo-hyun). They will complete final, detailed examinations of three sets of remains scheduled for transfer to the United States at the U.S.-Korea reciprocal repatriation ceremony in June, and finish the administrative and technical preparations needed for the handover.

The discovery details and combat records for the three sets of remains are as follows. The first set was recovered in 2010 in Wolun-ri, Dong-myeon, Yanggu County, Gangwon Province, and is believed to be a member of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division killed during the Battle of Bloody Ridge (second phase, Aug. 28–Sept. 5, 1951).

The second set was recovered in 2012 in Songsong-ri, Jeondong-myeon, Sejong City (then Yeongi County, South Chungcheong Province). Analysts link it to the U.S. 24th Infantry Division’s 21st Regiment, which fought in early Korean War engagements at Jeonui–Jochiwon–Daepyeong-ri–Daejeon (July 9–13, 1950). The third set was recovered in 2021 in Pungcheon-ri, Hwacheon-myeon, Hongcheon County, Gangwon Province, and is believed to have belonged to a member of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division who fell during the Northern Hongcheon battles (May 6–18, 1951). Forensic analysis determined all three sets show European ancestry, and after close consultations between the United States and South Korea they were selected for transfer in June.

John E. Burd, director of DPAA’s Central Identification Laboratory, said, “Finding the remains of unrecovered U.S. service members and returning them to their families is our solemn duty. Based on a strong partnership with the Remains Recovery and Identification Unit, we will do our utmost to ensure that South Korean remains also return home safely in June.”

Lt. Col. Kim Seong-hwan, acting head of the Remains Recovery and Identification Unit, said, “These remains were selected by both agencies after years of careful verification. Through the final confirmation process, we will make sure the U.S. service members who sacrificed for freedom and peace far from home receive full honors when they return to their country.”