The remains of fallen service members on June 5 are transported during a bilateral repatriation ceremony for those killed in the 1950-53 Korean War at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do Province. (Yonhap News)

By Yoo Yeon Gyeong

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will increase bilateral cooperation with the U.S. in recovering the remains of prisoners of war (POWs) and those missing in action (MIAs) from the 1950-53 Korean War as well as honoring and supporting their families.

The ministry on Aug. 7 said it signed a memorandum of understanding on international cooperation in veterans affairs with the U.S. Department of War's Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency at the annual conference Korean War and Cold War in Omaha, Nebraska.

Under the accord, the two sides will organize exchanges like invitations to Korea of the families of the POWs and MIAs and the development and promotion of commemorative projects. They also agreed to expand cooperation through information sharing and joint meetings.

The new campaign "7,359: American Flags to Find Them to the End" will pay tribute to the 7,359 U.S. military personnel from the war whose remains have not yet been recovered. A combined 1,789,000 American service members took part in the war, with 36,574 killed in action.

The ministry plans to discuss with the U.S. agency the production of 7,359 badges with the message "American Flags to Find Them to the End," each bearing its own serial number, and give them to the families of MIAs and the American public.

dusrud21@korea.kr