Two bodies found in Himalayas confirmed to be S. Koreans missing since 2009

CHEONGJU, South Korea, Aug. 13 (Yonhap) -- Two bodies found in the Himalayas last month have been confirmed to be those of South Koreans who went missing while climbing there a decade ago, their former teammates said Tuesday. The two -- Min Jun-young and Park Jong-sung -- lost contact with the other members of the Jikji Expedition team in September 2009, climbing in Annapurna, a massif in the Himalayas in north-central Nepal. After the bodies were discovered in July, some Jikji members visited a local hospital along with the family of the deceased and attested to the identity of Min and Park, who were 36 and 42 years old, respectively, at the time of the mishap. Park's backpack rain cover was found with the bodies by a local resident. The bodies will be cremated and the remains will be transferred to South Korea this weekend. A schedule for their funerals has yet to be decided. lcd@yna.co.kr (END)