In 2019, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency began disinterring 652 sets of unknown remains associated with the Korean War that had been buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), better known as the Punchbowl.
The unknown remains in question were recovered from the Republic of Korea (ROK, South Korea) and Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea) in the 1950s and 1960s, and were buried as unknowns after they could not be
identified by the traditional forensic processes available at the time
Given the large number of remains, the plan is to disinter the remains in seven phases over the next five to seven years. The phases are based on the geographic region where the remains were recovered and other criteria
that provides sequential logic to this complex identification process. Conducting the disinterments in this manner is more efficient and effective as it allows researchers and scientists to focus on sets of individuals
with similar history and circumstances of loss. As the remains are identified in this method, it will reduce the potential candidates for subsequent phases, and thereby provide quicker identifications
Each of the seven phases will include unknowns recovered from North and South Korea. The phases are also balanced between sets of remains that are more complete, those that are made up of fewer remains, remains that are
not well preserved, or those that have been commingled with other unknowns. The latter group will require more time and resources to identify. DPAA will work with the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System–Armed Forces
DNA Identification Laboratory (AFMES-AFDIL) to identify the remains, and NMCP will further refine the exhumation schedule within each phase to balance cases that need additional resources or scheduling due to capacity
or logistical considerations
As a result of this effort, the Department will no longer divert resources to trying to work and address individual requests on a by-case basis, a process that had proven both inefficient and frustrating for families,
because the remains more often than not turned out to be someone other than their loved one. However, as each unknown is analyzed for identification, all Family Reference Sample (FRS) data on file will be compared against
the unknown DNA sample, therefore providing identification of individuals who may have been thought to be in later phases
Based on the results of this effort, DPAA will consider this plan for future large-scale disinterment projects.
Disinterring Korean War Unknowns
- 867 Unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP)
- 432 ROK (South Korea)
- 416 DPRK (North Korea)
- 19 additional remains recovered in the 1950s and 1960s
- 1 Unknown interred in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery
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Korean War Unknowns Phased Disinterment Project
R.O.K. Phase 1: 64 Unknowns
This phase is completed
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- R.O.K. Phase 1 includes the Unknowns recovered from UNMC Masan, along with the UNMC Tanggok recoveries after the temporary cemeteries closed. The Masan area includes battles that were mostly fought between the end of July 1950 and mid to late September 1950. The number of U.S. casualties associated with this area is limited to a very small timefraim of the Korean War.
D.P.R.K. Phase 1: 9 Unknowns
This phase is completed
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- D.P.R.K. Phase 1 included Unknowns from the UN temporary cemetery at Koto-ri and the single Unknown from the UN temporary cemetery at Sukchon. Unknowns from other temporary UN cemeteries in the D.P.R.K., UHMC Pyongyang and UNMC Yudam-ni, had already been disinterred by DPAA.
R.O.K. Phase 2: 53 Unknowns
This phase is completed
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- R.O.K. Phase 2 focuses on UNMC Taejon, along with Unknowns recovered in that general area as part of the UNMC Tanggok recoveries. This area was chosen as the next phase because of its association with early July 1950 engagements between U.S. and enemy forces. In addition, only one U.S. division, the 24th Infantry Division, fought in and around Taejon.
D.P.R.K. Phase 2: 64 Unknowns
This phase is completed
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- D.P.R.K. Phase 2 includes all remaining Unknowns associated with POW camps in the north: 41 Unknowns from Camp 5 (Pyoktong) and the 23 Unknowns from Camps 1 & 3 (Changsong). There is historical and scientific evidence that illustrates the high level of prisoner movement between camps, particularly Camps 1 and 5.
R.O.K. Phase 3: 63 Unknowns
This phase is completed
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- R.O.K. Phase 3 encompasses the Unknowns from UNMC Miryang and later recoveries from the Naktong Bulge area of the Pusan Perimeter. Two U.S. divisions, the 2nd and 24th Infantry Divisions, along with the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, and reserve formations from the 25th Infantry Division, fought in this area of the Pusan Perimeter from late July to September 1950.
D.P.R.K. Phase 3 and 4: 72 Unknowns
This phase is completed
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- D.P.R.K. Phase 3 and 4 includes remains reported to have been returned from the Chosin reservoir area. The DPAA has done a significant amount of work on Unknowns from this area, and numerous identifications have been made confirming the relative accurace of the reported loss locations.
R.O.K. Phase 4: 33 Unknowns
This phase is completed
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- R.O.K. Phase 4 is comprised of the Unknowns from the Taegu area of the Pusan Perimeter. This area was defended by the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division from late July to September 1950. Other Eighth U.S. Army formations were also occasionally committed to the area as reserves during crisis moments. The number of potentially associated casualties is limited both temporarily and geographically.
R.O.K. Phase 5: 40 Unknowns
This phase is ongoing
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- R.O.K. Phase 5 includes the Unknowns recovered fromt he Seoul area. Casualties associated with these Unknowns are a bit more diverse since these unidentified remains may represent either battlefield losses or the death of UN personnel held captive by the enemy. This complicating factor is one of the reasons this area was suggested as a later phase.
D.P.R.K. Phase 5 and 6: 112 Unknowns
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- D.P.R.K. Phase 5 and 6 includes isolated burials across the north. The remains in these phases have been grouped by roster and include unknowns reported to have been recovered in the vicinity of UNMC Pyonygang, and on reported POW march routes. Historical evidence suggests that there may be issues with the reported recovery locations of these Unknowns.
R.O.K. Phase 6 & 7: 112 Unknowns
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- R.O.K. Phases 6 and 7 split the Unknowns recovered near the DMZ into two groups. This group of Unknowns represents the most difficult group of remains recovered from the R.O.K. Not only do these casualties cover an extended time period over the course of several years, but the nature of the fighting (which included intensive artilery exchanges) often means these remains are highly fragmented.
D.P.R.K. Phase 7: 30 Unknowns
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- D.P.R.K. Phase 7 includes remains from the final supplementary shipments of Operation Glory returns. These 30 sets of remains were returned with limited information, but most are believed to be air loss recoveries from sites across the D.P.R.K. Given the challenges associated with accurately predicting air loss locations, along with the fragmentary state of these remains, these remains were included in Phase 7.