This file photo, provided by the Defense Daily on Sept. 16, 2023, shows a repatriation ceremony of remains of Chinese troops killed in the 1950-53 Korean War taking place at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea on Thursday handed over the remains of 25 Chinese troops killed during the 1950-53 Korean War to China, Seoul’s defense ministry said, marking the 10th repatriation of its kind.
The remains were returned in a ceremony at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, attended by Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho and Chinese Vice Minister of Veterans Affairs Chang Zhengguo, among other officials.
With the latest event, Seoul has returned 938 sets of remains of Chinese troops since 2014, when the two countries agreed on the repatriation project.
The ministry said the latest sets of remains were excavated in 2021 and that it also handed over 335 recovered personal items of the Chinese troops.
Kim described the repatriation as the result of bilateral cooperation based on the spirit of humanitarianism and mutual respect, expressing hopes for future repatriations to contribute to enhancing their ties, the ministry said.
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.
(Yonhap)
