© News1
The Ministry of National Defense Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification (MAKRI) announced that they held a meeting on the excavation of Korean War casualties at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Gwangju Metropolitan City on the 25th.
According to the MAKRI, around 120 people, including the families of the deceased from the Korean War and the officials from the administrative institutions, health centers, and military officials in the Jeonnam and Gwangju regions, attended the meeting.
The MAKRI’s meeting on the recovery operation began in 2008 to inform people about the national efforts to take full responsibility for those who sacrificed their lives for the country, answer questions about the project, enhance understanding, and foster public participation and consensus.
The meeting began with the presentation of an award of appreciation from the Minister of National Defense to the Suncheon City Hall in South Jeolla Province, which was recognized as an excellent administrative institution for collecting genetic samples from bereaved families. The meeting proceeded in the order of introducing the progress and current status of the project, announcing the excavation and identification of remains, introducing future project plans, providing information on the cooperation of each institution, and a Q&A session.
At this meeting, MAKRI also prepared the opportunity for people to have an indirect experience of the entire excavation process by explaining major battles, displaying artifacts found in the excavation areas, and showing photos of the excavation sites.
MAKRI plans to hold a meeting on the excavation project in October for the families of Korean War casualties living in the Incheon and Gyeonggi Province.
Head of MAKRI Lee Geun Won, said, “I hope that this meeting can resolve some expectations and questions about the excavation project,” adding, “We will continue to work hard until the day when the very last one returns to their homeland and their families.”