VNA correspondent in Seoul quoted an announcement from the Korean Ministry of National Defense (MND) on October 29, saying that over the past 6 months (from April 20 to October 27), Korea has unearthed more than 300 pieces of human remains. remains of more than 17,000 relics of soldiers who died during the Korean War (1950-1953) at Hwasalmori (Arrowhead) Hill in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Gangwon Province bordering North Korea.

According to MND, the above 300 pieces of remains are estimated to belong to 130 sets of remains, of which more than 30 sets of remains are still in quite intact condition. In addition, among the more than 17,000 relics, there are 5 bulletproof vests from the US army and 28 gas masks from the Chinese army used during the Korean War.

In 2020, MND excavated remains in the Hwasalmori hill area on Korean territory to prepare for a joint exhumation project of inter-Korean martyrs’ remains. According to the plan, this year’s excavation will last until November.

Pursuant to the inter-Korean military agreement dated September 19, 2018, the two Koreas agreed to jointly exhume the remains of soldiers who died in the Korean War. The above ministry said it will continue to make efforts to help North Korea implement this content and is ready to start a joint exhumation project of martyrs’ remains at any time.

The Korean Ministry of National Defense emphasized that providing information about the remains and taking genetic samples of relatives of martyrs is extremely important to determine the identity of the excavated remains. People can ask and answer related questions through the hotline of the Agency for Search and Assessment of Martyrs’ Remains under the Ministry of National Defense. In addition, those who provide genetic samples that help confirm the identity of martyrs’ remains will receive a maximum reward of 10 million won (about 8,830 USD).