South Korean troops assigned to MAKRI, the Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification, work to recover Korean War remains from the Demilitarized Zone in November 2025. (South Korean Ministry of National Defense)
The United States and South Korea are partnering for a four-week search aimed at recovering the remains of service members lost in two aircraft crashes during the Korean War.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification began the joint search operation on Monday, according to the South Korean ministry.
The search is scheduled to continue until May 1, the ministry said in a news release.
“Just as we are committed to recovering the remains of our fallen, we will spare no effort in supporting the search for U.S. service members who helped us and remain unaccounted for,” South Korean army Lt. Col. Kim Sung-hwan, acting director of the recovery and identification agency, said in the release.
The operation expands the agencies’ joint survey activities, he said.
The agencies will search for the wreckage of U.S. warplanes and transport aircraft near Gangneung and Yangyang, 100 miles east of Seoul and 40 to 60 miles south of the Demilitarized Zone, according to the release.
The losses occurred in 1952. A fighter jet crashed Feb. 21 near Yangyang and a transport plane came down on Oct. 16 near Gangneung, leaving 17 aboard unaccounted for, according to the ministry.
Of 300,000 U.S. troops deployed during the 1950-53 Korean War, 26,940 died in action and 3,737 are still listed as missing, according to the United Nations Command website.
The agencies are also planning a joint underwater survey in August of another 1952 crash site. Nine people, including a Korean, went missing when a transport plane went down on Nov. 15 in the Sea of Japan — also known as the East Sea — due to an engine defect, according to the ministry’s release.
The agencies will inspect the remaining debris and gather information from area residents, according to the ministry.
DPAA has worked with its South Korean counterparts since 2024, survey team deputy leader Staff Sgt. Jordyn King said in the release.
