South Korea President Lee Jae Myung attends the ROK and the U.S. repatriation ceremony for Korean remains at Seoul Military Air Base in Seongnam, South Korea, 05 June 2026. The remains of ten South Koreans and the three U.S. soldiers killed in the Korean War were sent back to their homeland. Photo by JEON HEON-KYUN / EPA
June 5 (Asia Today) -- South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said Friday that the mutual repatriation of Korean War remains by South Korea and the United States is "the most compelling evidence" of an alliance forged in blood.
Lee made the remarks at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, where South Korea and the United States held a mutual repatriation ceremony for Korean War remains. It was the first time the ceremony was held in South Korea. Previous mutual repatriation ceremonies had been held in Hawaii.
"Today's repatriation is a meaningful milestone that deepens and strengthens the South Korea-U.S. alliance, which was built on the blood and dedication of veterans," Lee said.
"The effort to find not only one's own warriors but also those of an ally and return them to their families is the most compelling evidence of an alliance forged in blood," he said.
