Army 2nd Artillery Brigade excavates remains of Korean War dead near Jeokgeunsan Mountain in Cheorwon

(Hwacheon = Yonhap News) Reporter Yang Ji-woong = The Army's 2nd Artillery Brigade announced on the 8th that it will begin excavating the remains of fallen soldiers in the area of ​​Jeokgeunsan Mountain in Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon-do, where fierce battles took place during the Korean War.

On this day, the opening ceremony for the excavation of remains of those killed in the Korean War held at the Dongdong Festival Ground in Sanyang-ri, Hwacheon-gun, hosted by the brigade, was attended by Brigadier General Jeong Sang-hwan, Hwacheon-gun Governor Kim Se-hoon, Gangwon Western Veterans Affairs Branch Jeong Baek-gyu, commander of the remains excavation unit, and Ministry of National Defense excavation identification team.

They commemorated the soul of the patriotic spirit and prayed for the safety of the soldiers involved in the remains excavation operation.

The unit will begin excavating remains in the area of ​​Hill 735 on Mt. Jeokgeun for about six weeks from the 12th of this month to the 20th of next month.

This area was the site of a fierce battle for high ground between the ROK Army's 2nd Division and the Chinese Army's 20th and 27th Armies during the Korean War.

A total of 123 people, including 108 soldiers from the Iron Artillery Battalion and the Ministry of National Defense's Remains Excavation and Identification Team, will be deployed in the operation.

The unit plans to make thorough preparations and take safety measures in consideration of geographical characteristics and other factors, while working on excavation operations to return at least one patriotic hero to his family.

The excavated remains will be placed in a temporary enshrinement prepared at the base and a joint funeral ceremony will be held.

Battalion Commander Kang Myung-bo said, "I am honored to participate in a meaningful operation to return our senior comrades who sacrificed their lives for our country to their families. We will complete the operation safely and successfully so that their courage and sacrifice will be remembered forever in the name of the country."