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MOD appeal for families of missing or killed soldiers from the Korean War

The Ministry of Defence is offering the opportunity for relatives of UK Service Personnel killed or missing in action in the Korean War to provide DNA samples to support identification of remains.

This was published under the 2016 to 2019 May Conservative government

At the recent United States-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Summit, President Trump and Kim Jong Un signed the Sentosa Agreement, which included a commitment to recover remains from the DPRK and return them to the US, where they will be identified.

The remains may include UK casualties and the DNA samples will be used to support identification, over a number of years, to make sure any UK personnel identified are ultimately given military funerals at the United Nations cemetery in the Republic of Korea. The MOD also intend to cover costs for immediate family members to attend.

UK personnel fought during the Korean War as part of the United Nations Command (UNC). The 3-year conflict between 1950 and 1953 led to the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives from Korea, China and the UNC.

Family members of those missing personnel who have no known grave are asked to call the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre on +44 1452 854622 or +44 1452 855258.

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Published 1 August 2018