S. Korea's MAKRI strives to recover and identify remains of fallen Korean War soldiers

국방부 유해발굴감식단장 인터뷰… "그들을 조국의 품으로"
Last week, we delivered a story about how Korean War heroes were being remembered, marking the 74th anniversary of the outbreak of the war.
And this week, we take a look at the endeavors to bring home the remains of those who fought for the country, but were never properly laid to rest.
Lee Eun-hee brings more.
Until we bring the last hero home.
This is the mission of South Korea's Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification, also known as MAKRI.
The Korean War ended with an armistice over seventy years ago, but the remains of over 120,000 fallen soldiers have yet to be recovered.
"The organization is responsible for recovering the remains of those who died in the Korean War and returning them to their families."
Director Lee Keun-won spoke to Arirang News about MAKRI's commitment to fulfilling the nation's responsibility and honoring those who sacrificed their lives.
"We excavate remains, conduct inspections and genetic analyses to verify identities. With the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, we ensure these individuals are interred with dignity at the National Cemetery, ensuring they receive the respect and honor they deserve."
However, not much evidence has survived the war to help identify fallen Korean soldiers.
That means the most reliable method is genetic analyses which underscores how important it is for living family members or descendants to provide DNA samples.
Sample collection can be done across all of South Korea, with even distant relatives, all the way to the 8th degree which includes the children of third cousins, able to provide vital clues.
"Families can visit health centers, military bases, or veterans' hospitals to provide samples. They can also call us at 1577-5625, and our staff will visit to collect samples directly."
International collaboration is also crucial as the Korean War involved UN forces from over twenty countries.
And identifying fallen soldiers is not just done using DNA.
This year, a joint South Korea -U.S. excavation was conducted in Mungyeong City located in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.
The excavation took place for six weeks until June 28th, and aimed to find the wreckage of a U.S. military fighter jet that crashed in December 1950.
"The pilot's remains from the crashed aircraft had already been recovered, but they were badly burned.
So, in order to confirm the pilot's identity, parts with serial numbers from the plane were needed."
About 7-thousand-5-hundred American soldiers remain missing to this day.
Hoping to identify more remains of troops who went missing in action, South Korea's MAKRI and its U.S. counterpart the DPAA co-hosted the 3rd Indo-Pacific Scientific Summit this year, which came to Seoul for the first time.
"The meeting provided a platform for experts in analyzing identities from different countries to share and discuss the latest insights in the field of forensic identification."
On its largest scale yet, over sixty experts from eleven countries were invited to the summit.
MAKRI’s director also demonstrated a strong commitment to continuing international exchanges to boost technical expertise.
As part of that commitment, South Korean genetic analysis experts will be attending an academic conference in Spain later this year.
South Korea's DNA analysis technology has become among the best in the world.
However, the experts are in a race against time.
The closer the familial relationship, the higher the accuracy, but close relatives of fallen soldiers are getting older.
"If we cannot find and return these individuals to their families in our generation, they may remain unrecognized heroes forever. I believe a nation's dignity is defined by whom it chooses to remember."
Director Lee Keun-won made a promise to all the families awaiting news of their long-lost loved ones.
"We will do our best to find and return everyone as quickly as possible to their families and homeland."
Lee Eun-hee, Arirang News.
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2024-07-05, 18:00 (KST)