S. Korea resumes search for remains of war dead

SEOUL, Aug. 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military launched another round of massive excavation work Monday in search of remains of soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War.

More than 40,000 troops from 14 units will be mobilized for the months-long project, a team in charge of the operation at the Defense Ministry said.

They will excavate two dozen sites across the country including the Suribong area in Yanggu, Gangwon Province. Nicknamed "Bloody Ridge Line," it was a Korean War battlefield where around 20,000 South and North Korean soldiers were killed.

Related officials said they are in a race against time, with most war veterans and witnesses aged 80 or older.

"We are conducting the excavation work with the urgency of a battle against time," said Army Col. Lee Hak-gi who leads the military task force.

He stressed the importance of public support including information on the locations of remains and active cooperation from the bereaved families.

Lee's team conducted regular excavation operations from March through July this year, finding 524 sets of remains. Eight of those were identified through DNA tests.

It took a break in August amid a heat wave and heavy rains.

Launched in 2007, the team has unearthed a total of 8,476 sets of remains.

Nearly 60,000 South Korean soldiers were killed during the Korean War and more than 80,000 others are still unaccounted for, according to official data.

lcd@yna.co.kr
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