French soldier's ID tag found during war remains excavation in DMZ

Defense 14:52 May 10, 2019

SEOUL, May 10 (Yonhap) -- A military identification tag, believed to belong to a French soldier who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War, was found during excavation work inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the border with North Korea, Seoul's defense ministry said Friday.

During the excavation and demining project under way on Arrowhead Ridge, a former battle site inside the DMZ that separates the two Koreas, the military found the dog tag last week. The tag carries an inscription that reads "MOALIC. YVES, M RENNE C FRENCH."

It is the first time that an item believed to belong to a French soldier was found over the course of the excavation project that began in April.

"We will share relevant information and discuss related issues with France, including how to repatriate it to the family of the soldier," the ministry said.

Along with the ID tag, the military has discovered 71 pieces of bones throughout this week, bringing the total number of pieces discovered so far to 163.

Noting that it remains unclear how many persons the bone pieces belong to, the military said it will carry out a detailed examination and DNA analysis to identify their origins.

Under the inter-Korean military accord aimed at reducing tensions and building trust, Seoul and Pyongyang had planned to carry out the joint excavation project for about six months from April.

But the North has remained unresponsive to calls for jointly carrying out the project as agreed, leaving the South Korean military to carry out the operation alone.