Soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army carry coffins containing remains of soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) dead in the 1950-53 Korean War, during a handover ceremony at the Inchon International Airport of South Korea, March 20, 2015. (Photo: Xinhua/Yao Qilin)
The Republic of Korea (ROK) has agreed to return more remains of Chinese soldiers killed in the Korean War, China's Ministry of Civil Affairs announced on Thursday.
The ministry said in a statement that the two countries will hold a transfer ceremony for the remains of 36 soldiers on March 31, days before Tomb-sweeping Day, the Chinese holiday for commemorating the dead.
The ROK has handed over the remains of 505 Chinese volunteer soldiers killed in the war since 2014.
The latest agreement was reached in a meeting between the two sides on Wednesday. They consult once a year on the handover of remains of Chinese soldiers found in the ROK, with the transfer usually taking place before Tomb-Sweeping Day in early April.
The Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) fought alongside the Democratic People's Republic of Korea army in the Korean War against the South Korean army and U.S.-led UN forces between 1950 and 1953.
Almost 200,000 CPV soldiers have been confirmed to have been killed in the war, with most of them buried on the Korean Peninsula.
