The remains of a South Korean troop killed in the 1950-53 Korean War have been identified following their recovery from a former battle site last year, the defense ministry said Friday.

In October, the ministry's excavation team found the remains of Ssg. Kim Il-soo from the site, White Horse Ridge, inside the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas. It later identified him through a DNA analysis.

The identification was possible as his younger brother had registered his DNA sample with the government.

The remains of the late soldier were retrieved with a spoon on which his surname, Kim, was inscribed. Then, the ministry conducted DNA tests with samples collected from registered bereaved family members whose surname is Kim.

The retrieval project in the DMZ is part of a 2018 inter-Korean military accord aimed at building mutual trust and easing cross-border tensions.

The South has been conducting the project alone, as the North has refused to join what was meant to be a joint project.

Since its excavation work first started in 2000, the ministry has identified a total of 182 troops killed in action during the war, including Kim. (Yonhap)