Seoul: The defense ministry announced it has initiated the second-half operations to recover and identify the remains of soldiers who perished during the 1950-53 Korean War, in a continued effort to provide closure to the families of service members who were killed in action or remain missing.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification under the ministry will conduct the excavation project from Monday through November 27. This operation will involve deploying troops from 14 Army divisions and brigades, along with the 1st Marine Division. These personnel will be stationed in mountainous regions across more than 20 areas, including Gyeonggi, Gangwon, South Chungcheong, North Jeolla, and North Gyeongsang provinces.

The excavation efforts will particularly concentrate on the border areas of Paju, Cheorwon, and the southeastern county of Gunwi, which were significant battlegrounds against North Korean and Chinese communist forces during the height of the three-year conflict. The Army's 5th Division, tasked with the Battle of Baengmagoji (White Horse Hill) area, will dedicate the entire three-month period to the excavation and recovery process in this region, unlike other units that will operate for up to six weeks.

The Baengmagoji battle, occurring in October 1952, was one of the Korean War's most intense and bloodiest conflicts. It resulted in a victory for the U.N.-led allied forces after South Korean troops successfully defended the strategic hill against a massive Chinese assault. During the first-half excavation period from March 9 to July 3, the agency recovered 77 sets of remains and over 31,000 items believed to be personal belongings of fallen soldiers.