Returning Home: South Korea repatriates remains of Chinese soldiers

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02:19

About 200-thousand Chinese soldiers died in the Korean War that lasted from 1950 to 1953. And some of their remains have been returned to the country in time for Tomb-Sweeping Day. This comes after officials in South Korea discovered more bodies while conducting searches near the inter-Korean border. CGTN's Shane Hahm and Guan Yang tell us more.

It's a homecoming almost seven decades in the making. Caskets containing Chinese soldiers are placed onto a chartered flight to be transported back to their homeland. They're thought to have perished while fighting during the Korean War in the mid-20th century.

JANG YU-RYANG HEAD OF SOUTH KOREA'S AGENCY FOR KIA RECOVERY AND IDENTIFICATION "Roughly 100,000 troops from 33 divisions were deployed for eight months between March and November 2018 to unearth the remains. A total of 10 bodies and 145 pieces of personal belongings were discovered."

The remains were found in areas along the border with the DPRK. DNA testing and other methods were used to determine ethnicity and nationality.

JANG YU-RYANG HEAD OF SOUTH KOREA'S AGENCY FOR KIA RECOVERY AND IDENTIFICATION "For the first time ever, a body discovered at Arrowhead Ridge inside the DMZ was determined to be a Chinese soldier. We will do our utmost to make sure proper respects are given during repatriation."

SHANE HAHM SEOUL "South Korea has repatriated nearly 600 Chinese soldiers since 2014. The handovers usually take place at around this time of the year in the spring just before the Chinese Qingming Festival so that surviving family members can pay their respects to loved ones."

It's unclear precisely how many bodies remain unaccounted for inside the DMZ. But improving ties between South Korea and the DPRK could expedite the search for missing soldiers. That's because Seoul and Pyongyang have agreed to remove landmines and exhume war remains inside the restricted area.

LEE HAK-KI, COMMANDER SOUTH KOREA'S AGENCY FOR KIA RECOVERY AND IDENTIFICATION "It is presumed that there are more than 10,000 remains in this DMZ area, including UN forces and South Korean soldiers, who were killed during the Korean War."

Diplomatic relations between Seoul and Beijing have evolved over the past six decades. And as times change, fallen veterans may finally be able to rest in peace. Shane Hahm, CGTN, Seoul.