Homecoming ceremony held for the late Pfc. Jo Cha-sang
Remains excavated in Gunwi-gun identified as belonging to 6th Division soldier
Sister's DNA sample — collected 14 years ago — confirms sibling relationship through additional testing
![South Korea's Ministry of National Defense Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification announced Thursday that remains excavated in June 2010 from the Maebongsan area of Hyoryeong-myeon, Gunwi-gun, Daegu, have been identified as those of the late Pfc. Jo Cha-sang of the Army's 6th Division. [Ministry of National Defense]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/10/15/news-p.v1.20251015.c07db39559de46e38935f225c1225580_P1.jpg)
"Before my mother passed away, she left me with a final wish — that I find my older brother's remains and have him interred at a national cemetery. I am so grateful that it has come true."
The older brother of Jo Ok-ran died in the Korean War at the age of 20 and has now returned to his family 76 years later. Fourteen years after his sister provided a DNA sample, the sibling relationship was confirmed — fulfilling their mother's last plea to find her son's remains.
South Korea's Ministry of National Defense Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification said Thursday that remains excavated in June 2010 from the Maebongsan area of Hyoryeong-myeon, Gunwi-gun, Daegu, have been identified as those of the late Pfc. Jo Cha-sang of the Army's 6th Division. Jo is the 14th fallen hero whose identity the agency has confirmed this year, and the 282nd Korean War soldier returned to his family since the remains recovery project began in April 2000.
His remains were first discovered during an excavation at Hill 490 on Maebongsan. A specialized recovery team retrieved both femur bones at the scene, but confirming his identity took many years.
His sister, Jo Ok-ran, learned of the Korean War remains recovery project in June 2012 and visited a public health center in Gimhae to provide a DNA sample in hopes of finding her older brother. At the time, however, the available DNA analysis technology could not establish a family relationship between her and the recovered remains.
The breakthrough came in March. After the agency conducted additional testing on the remains sample and the family's preserved DNA sample, it confirmed that the late Pfc. Jo Cha-sang and Jo Ok-ran were siblings — 16 years after the remains were excavated and 14 years after the sister submitted her sample.
Jo was born in August 1930 in Bubuk-myeon, Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, the eldest of nine siblings. He enlisted at the Army Training Center on July 17, 1950, and was assigned to the 6th Division before being killed in action on Aug. 14 of that year in the Battle of Gunwi-Uiheung — less than a month after he joined the military.
The Battle of Gunwi-Uiheung was fought from Aug. 13 to Aug. 28, 1950, when the 7th Regiment of the Army's 6th Division defended against attacks by the North Korean 1st and 8th divisions in what is now the Misari area of Hyoryeong-myeon, Gunwi-gun.
A homecoming ceremony was held Thursday at Jo Ok-ran's home in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, in accordance with the family's wishes. Jo said her heart was "trembling so much" when she heard her brother's remains had been found that she could not sleep, and expressed gratitude that she had been able to honor her mother's dying wish.
Jeon Byeong-hui, director of the agency, presented the family with a homecoming plaque, an identity confirmation notice and a memorial box containing artifacts recovered with the remains, and explained the circumstances of Jo's service, the excavation and the identification process.
"I pay my deepest respects to the noble sacrifice and dedication of the deceased, who gave his life for his country at such a young age," Jeon said. "We will continue to spare no effort in recovering the remains of our fallen heroes and collecting DNA samples from family members, so that we may heal the pain of the families still waiting."
rimsclub@heraldcorp.com
