South Korea has found five more sets of Korean War remains during its demining work in a notorious battle site inside the Demilitarized Zone, Seoul's defense ministry said Monday.

Including the latest discovery, it has excavated a total of nine sets of remains from Arrowhead Ridge, a site of fierce battles during the 1950-53 Cold War conflict, since Oct. 1 when it began the land mine clearance operations. 


 

The Koreas have been demining the area to ensure safety ahead of a joint project to find troop remains from April to October next year. The project is part of a military agreement the Koreas' defense ministers signed after the third summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang in September.

"Following the on-site investigation, it has been concluded that all five sets are those of the troops who died during the war," the ministry said in a press release.

The authorities will further look into the remains for forensic identification.

There were three key battles against communist forces on the Arrowhead Ridge from 1952-53. The remains of more than 200 South Korean soldiers and dozens of UN Command forces, such as US and French troops, are thought to be buried there.

The total number of South Korean troops whose remains have yet to be retrieved or identified stands at around 133,000. (Yonhap)