REMAINS OF KOREAN WAR SOLDIERS RETURN

[Anchor Lead]

The remains of South Korean soldiers who perished in the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War have been brought to Korea by presidential aircraft.The repatriation ceremony took place on Thursday with President Moon Jae-in personally overseeing it.

[Pkg]

Caskets wrapped in the Korean flag are moved to the presidential aircraft. They contain the remains of late Kim Seok-joo and Chung Hwan-jo, who perished in the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea in 1950. The remains of late Kim Seok-joo were escorted by his great-granddaughter, nursing officer Kim Hye-soo. The ceremony for the transfer of the remains was held at the Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii. It's the first instance of a South Korean president personally overseeing such event abroad.

[Soundbite] Moon Jae-in(President) : "Because of the sacrifice of these heroes, some 100,000 refugees, including my parents, were able to find freedom. It's because of them that I am here today."

The remains of 66 unidentified perished soldiers were transported by an aerial refueling aircraft with the Minister of National Defense onboard. They had been buried in Hawaii after their excavation in the 1990s along with the remains of American and North Korean soldiers.

[Soundbite] Admiral John C. Aquilino(Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command)

Escorted by four F-15K jets, they were finally brought to Korea on President Moon's trip from the U.S. To pay homage to the fallen heroes, the F-15K fighter jets fired 21 flash bang grenades, which are usually fired to express respect for top dignitaries. Upon arrival at the Seoul Airport, a repatriation ceremony followed. The government says the repatriation of the remains once again demonstrated its unwavering commitment to bringing the remains of the Korean War heroes to their home country.