Participation in Excavation of Remains of Forced Labor Victims of the Pacific War... First Case of Korea-US Cooperation
- Input
- 2025-08-21 12:33:46
- Updated
- 2025-08-21 12:33:46
Participation in the Rabaul Area of Papua New Guinea where 107 Victims Perished until the 5th of Next Month
[Financial News]
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 21st that it will participate in the excavation of remains in the Rabaul area of Papua New Guinea, conducted by the 'Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)' under the U.S. Department of Defense.
The number of people forcibly mobilized and killed or missing in the Pacific region is 5,407, of which the Rabaul area is where 107 forced labor victims occurred.
This participation in the excavation is a follow-up to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the U.S. DPAA in August last year to cooperate in the excavation and identification of remains of victims of the Pacific War.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety explained that this is the first time that Korea-U.S. cooperation has been achieved in the field of excavation of remains of forced labor victims in the Pacific region.
The excavation work, which will be conducted for five days from the 25th to the 29th of this month, will involve three participants, including the Past Affairs Support Team of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the National Forensic Service, and private excavation experts.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has been conducting genetic analysis by receiving samples of remains from the DPAA since 2019, and through this, the remains of the late Choi Byeong-yeon, whose identity was confirmed, were repatriated to Korea in 2023.
As the excavation work is conducted in a short period, it will focus on confirming the overseas excavation operation system of the DPAA and acquiring related know-how.
The plan is to learn the methods of conducting overseas excavation projects, cooperating with local governments and residents, and professional excavation, field inspection, recording, and remains management, and to fully promote the excavation project through Korea-U.S. cooperation next year.
Kim Min-jae, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated, "The new government will do its best to bring back even one more person who was tragically sacrificed in the past to their homeland."
ktitk@fnnews.com Kim Tae-gyeong Reporter