Incheon: South Korea on Wednesday handed over the remains of 12 Chinese soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War to China in a joint ceremony organized by the two countries, Seoul's defense ministry said.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the remains were returned in a ceremony jointly hosted by Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee and Chinese Vice Minister of Veterans Affairs Xu Yao at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, as stated by the ministry.

With the latest repatriation, South Korea has returned 1,023 sets of remains of Chinese troops since 2014 in accordance with international law and on humanitarian grounds.

The ministry noted that a ceremony marking the handover was held publicly for the first time in three years in a reflection of improvement in bilateral ties between Seoul and Beijing. It vowed to continue efforts for the repatriation of Chinese troops going forward.

The Korean War broke out as North Korea, backed by China and the then Soviet Union, invaded the South. It ended in a cease-fire rather than a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically at war.