The remains of a soldier killed during the 1950-53 Korean War have been identified, nearly two decades after their discovery at a former battle site, the defense ministry said Thursday.

The ministry’s Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification recovered the remains of Ssg. Lee Seong-kyun at a mountainous area in Pohang, 262 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in 2005. KIA stands for killed in action.

The agency identified the remains as his through a DNA analysis using a sample from his nephew last year, following a long search for Lee’s surviving family based on military records.

During the war, Lee took part in a battle to defend the coastal city in August 1950 but was killed that month at the age of 21, according to the ministry.

A ceremony marking Lee’s return took place at the house he was born in his hometown of Goseong, 154 kilometers northeast of Seoul, on Wednesday.

South Korea has so far identified the remains of 217 service members killed in the conflict since it launched the excavation project in 2000.

Source: Yonhap News Agency