S. Korea identifies remains of another Korean War soldier

SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Yonhap) -- The remains of another South Korean soldier killed during the 1950-53 Korean War have been identified, two years after being discovered in an excavation project, the defense ministry said Tuesday.

The ministry's excavation team and service members from the 36th Infantry Division found seven pieces of Ssg. Song Byeong-seon's remains, including his arm and rib bones, in the county of Pyeongchang, 126 kilometers east of Seoul, in July 2020. They also discovered 11 pieces of his personal belongings, including his boots, at the site.

They initially had difficulty analyzing the remains due to decades of weathering, but they were able to identify them based on a DNA sample Song's daughter registered with the government.

Born in the western port city of Incheon, Song joined the military in December 1950 and served as part of the Army's 7th Infantry Division.

He was killed during a weeklong battle in the mountainous county that began on March 6, 1951, and ended with the South retaking two villages from the North, the ministry said.

The government will hold a ceremony marking the return of Song's remains at his family's home in Incheon on Wednesday. South Korea has so far identified the remains of 199 service members killed in the conflict since it launched the excavation project in 2000.

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
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