韩国将于下周归还志愿军遗骸
A ceremony was held in South Korea on Monday to prepare the return home of hundreds of fallen Chinese soldiers during the 1950-53 Korean War. The bodies are expected to arrive in China next week.
The remains of more than 400 Chinese soldiers killed during the Korean War have lied in South Korea for over six decades.
Now, they are finally ready to return home.
South Korean authorities carefully placed the remains into coffins on Monday after months of preparation.
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| A ceremony was held in South Korea on Monday to prepare the return home of hundreds of fallen Chinese soldiers during the 1950-53 Korean War. The bodies are expected to arrive in China next week. |
They will now be flown to China next week for permanent burial at a state cemetery in the city of Shenyang.
"Much damage was caused when South Korea and China fought in the Korean War, but the remains have been well preserved on humanitarian grounds." Kim Min-Seok, Spokesperson of South Korean Defense Ministry said.
This cemetery was created in the mid-1990s to house the bodies of Chinese and DPRK soldiers killed during the Korean War.
Some graves have names, but most are nameless and identified only by nationality.
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| A ceremony was held in South Korea on Monday to prepare the return home of hundreds of fallen Chinese soldiers during the 1950-53 Korean War. The bodies are expected to arrive in China next week. |
Much has changed in China-South Korea relations since the war ended in 1953. The two countries now share strategic partnerships in various sectors, highlighted during summit talks between Presidents Xi Jinping and Park Geun-hye last summer.
It was during that meeting that President Park offered to repatriate the bodies of the fallen Chinese soldiers.
"The South Korean government plans to use the successful repatriation of these remains to contribute to the development of bilateral relations with China." Kim Min-Seok said.
"South Korea has repatriated Chinese soldiers’ remains before. But it only occurred under the watch of the United Nations through the DPRK. Experts here say that China’s decision to accept the remains directly from South Korea is symbolic—it reflects China’s growing partnership with South Korea, both economically and diplomatically. Shane Hahm, for CCTV, Seoul."
