SEOUL, April 22 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- South Korea on Wednesday handed over the remains of 12 Chinese soldiers killed during the 1950–1953 Korean War to China in a joint ceremony organised by the two countries, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing Seoul’s defence ministry.
The remains were returned in a ceremony jointly hosted by Vice Defence Minister Lee Doo Hee and Chinese Vice Minister of Veterans Affairs Xu Yao at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, according to the ministry.
With the latest repatriation, South Korea has returned 1,023 sets of remains of Chinese troops since 2014, in accordance with international law and on humanitarian grounds.
The ministry noted that a ceremony marking the handover was held publicly for the first time in three years, reflecting improved bilateral ties between Seoul and Beijing.
It vowed to continue efforts to repatriate the remains of Chinese troops.
The Korean War broke out when North Korea, backed by China and the then Soviet Union, invaded the South.
It ended in a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically at war.
-- BERNAMA-YONHAP
