Over 70 soldiers newly found to have died while serving country: ministry

SEOUL, June 9 (Yonhap) -- Over 70 South Korean soldiers who had gone unaccounted
for since the founding of the nation's army were honored as being killed in
action or while on duty, the defense ministry said Tuesday.

Among the 491 soldiers whose causes of death have been left unidentified since
the 1940s, 73 were recently found to have been related to the Korean War or other
armed duties, the Ministry of National Defense said.
"The verification process was quite challenging as most of the related documents
have been discarded and the sites where incidents occurred have been disrupted,"
Hong Gwan-soo, an investigation official, told a briefing.
The remains of those newly recognized will be moved to national cemeteries, Hong
said, and their family members will be eligible for veteran compensation.
"This is important work because we try to find truth that can give hope to the
bereaved," he said.
Nearly half of the deaths took place in the 1950s, during which the 1950-53
Korean War broke out and ended in a truce, Hong said.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
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