Seoul - The remains of a South Korean soldier, Choi Byeong-yeon, who was forcibly conscripted by the Japanese military during World War II, were returned to South Korea on Sunday, 80 years after he was killed in action. The government announced the repatriation, marking a poignant moment in the country's history.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Choi, who perished in a battle in Tarawa, Kiribati, in 1943, was identified by the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) in 2019. The DPAA reported that over 1,000 Korean victims of forced mobilization lost their lives in the battle. At the time, Korea was under Japanese colonial rule, which lasted from 1910 to 1945.
Efforts by South Korea's interior ministry to repatriate these remains were stalled due to Kiribati's border closures amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Choi's remains will now be taken to his hometown of Yeonggwang, South Jeolla Province, for burial. A memorial ceremony is planned for Monday in the county to honor Choi.
Choi's son, Geum-su, expressed profound gratitude and relief at being able to finally lay his father to rest. At 81 years old, Geum-su recounted learning of his father's death a year after his forced mobilization and described the return of his remains as a miraculous opportunity to reunite with his father, albeit through his remains.