South Korean troops assigned to MAKRI, the Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification, work to recover Korean War remains from the Demilitarized Zone in November 2025. (South Korean Ministry of National Defense)
South Korea has recovered 25 sets of remains and nearly 2,000 artifacts from a former Korean War battlefield inside the Demilitarized Zone, the country’s defense ministry said Monday, calling the excavation a step toward easing tension with the North.
Between Oct. 15 and Nov. 28, roughly 100 South Korean troops and an unspecified number of U.N. Command personnel carried out a 40-day recovery mission in Cheorwon, Gangwon province, according to a news release from the Ministry of National Defense.
That area, along the DMZ’s central front, saw some of the fiercest fighting of the conflict, including the October 1952 Battle of White Horse Hill.
South Korean troops with MAKRI, the Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification, salute remains recovered inside the Demiliarized Zone in November 2025. (South Korean Ministry of National Defense)
The excavation was “part of a measure to ease military tensions between the South and the North,” the ministry’s deputy spokesman, Lee Kyung-ho, said Monday at his regular press briefing.
Most of the remains are believed to belong to Korean troops described in the release as “fallen heroes who died protecting the country.” The ministry said the identities will be determined through detailed examination and DNA analysis.
The operation also recovered 1,962 items, including personal effects and military equipment, the ministry said.
The excavation was an “effort to return the souls of the fallen heroes back to the nation and the bereaved families and a practical move to fulfill the government’s commitment to building peace in the DMZ,” according to the release.
South Korean troops assigned to MAKRI, the Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification, work to recover Korean War remains from the Demilitarized Zone in November 2025. (South Korean Ministry of National Defense)
“Our military will do our utmost to bring the fallen heroes who died protecting our country back to their families and to the nation, until the very last person,” the ministry said.
The operation was carried out in close coordination with the South Korean army’s 5th Infantry Division and MAKRI, the Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification,” Australian navy Lt. Cmdr. Brendan Trembath said in a statement emailed Tuesday by U.N. Command.
“These efforts are part of UNC’s ongoing commitment to upholding the Korean War Armistice Agreement, honoring the sacrifice of those who fought under the U.N. flag and alongside South Korea,” he said.