Seoul: The military has successfully recovered remains believed to belong to soldiers who perished during the 1950-53 Korean War at a former battlefield in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). This marks the first excavation effort carried out in the area in three years.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the excavation at White Horse Ridge in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, was resumed in October as part of a strategic plan to reduce military tensions between the two Koreas. This initiative had been on hold since 2022. Over a 40-day search operation, involving troops from South Korea and members of the U.S.-led U.N. Command, the military recovered the remains of 25 bodies and 1,962 pieces of personal belongings.

The ministry reported that initial on-site identification suggests a majority of the remains are those of South Korean soldiers who fell during the three-year conflict. Plans are underway to conduct more detailed analyses, including DNA tests, to confirm the identities of the deceased.

"This is part of efforts to return to the families... those who fought in the Korean War, as well as a practical measure to implement the government's pledge to establish peace in the DMZ," the ministry stated. Under a suspended military tension reduction agreement from 2018, both Seoul and Pyongyang had agreed to jointly recover the remains of soldiers from former battlefields within the DMZ.

In 2019, South Korea initiated the recovery of remains at Arrowhead Ridge and subsequently expanded efforts to White Horse Ridge. However, these activities were halted in November 2022 due to safety concerns amidst worsening inter-Korean relations. The excavation efforts have so far led to the recovery of remains belonging to approximately 500 soldiers from these historically significant and heavily contested battlefields. Despite these efforts, North Korea has yet to respond to calls for joint recovery operations.