S. Korea to repatriate remains of Chinese troops killed in Korean War

South Korea plans to return some 60 sets of remains of Chinese soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War to their homeland, a defense ministry official here said Monday.

   In a symbolic gesture of friendship toward its former battlefield foe, South Korea pledged to repatriate the bodies to China by March during the Seoul-Beijing security talks held in Seoul earlier in the day, according to the official.

   "After the repatriation last year, we've unearthed some 60 more bodies of the Chinese servicemembers. After taking some necessary steps, we will send them back to their home by March," the official said, asking not to be named. "The Chinese side expressed gratitude for the decision."

   In March last year, the South Korean government returned the bodies of 437 Chinese soldiers killed on Korean soil during the war on humanitarian grounds, after President Park Geun-hye made such an offer during a 2013 summit with her Chinese counterpart.

   During the Korean War, China fought alongside North Korea against the U.S.-backed Allied forces. Historical records show that more than 1 million Chinese soldiers were killed in the three-year conflict. (Yonhap)