Unveiling the Hero: The Return of Private Choi Baek-in, 76 Years After His Sacrifice in the Korean War

On February 10, after 76 years, the remains of this fallen hero, Private Choi Baek-in, who gave his life at 19 defending South Korea during the Korean War, were returned to his family.


The Ministry of National Defense’s Killed in Action Recovery and Identification (MAKRI) unit confirmed the identity of remains excavated in April 2007 near Mount Unju in Jayang-myeon, Yeongcheon. Working with the Army’s 50th Infantry Division, they identified the remains as those of Private Choi Baek-in, who served with the 7th Regiment, 6th Division.

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Ministry of National Defense

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Choi is the first fallen soldier identified by MAKRI this year. This brings the total number of identified and returned service members to 269 since the recovery project began in April 2000.

Nearly two decades ago, MAKRI personnel and 50th Division soldiers recovered remains and personal effects from a site believed to be a foxhole used during the Korean War. During initial excavations, soldiers discovered part of a femur. As the team expanded their search, they conducted a meticulous excavation, recovering scattered skeletal remains.

They also found 19 items near the remains, including military uniforms and combat boots. This initial evidence suggested the remains belonged to a South Korean soldier, but these items alone were insufficient to determine identity.

The breakthrough in identifying Private Choi came thanks to his sister’s participation in DNA sampling. In 2008, MAKRI attempted to extract DNA from the remains, but the technology at that time was inadequate for meaningful analysis. Without family DNA samples for comparison, identification was impossible.

In October 2021, Choi’s only surviving sibling, his sister Choi Gil-ja (born 1942, then 79), provided a DNA sample at the Jeonju Health Center. This proved crucial for identification. Advances in DNA extraction and analysis allowed geneticists to obtain usable DNA from the remains, which they matched with the family sample, confirming the relationship.

Choi was born in October 1930 in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. He enlisted in August 1950, shortly after the Korean War began, and was killed in action that September during the Battle of Yeongcheon.

He was the eldest of six siblings. Family members report that he worked in a furniture factory as a teenager and was unmarried when he enlisted.

In August 1950, Choi joined the army with other local youth. After completing basic training at the Army’s 1st Training Center, he was assigned to the 7th Regiment, 6th Division. He fell in combat during the Battle of Yeongcheon, which raged from September 6-13.

The Battle of Yeongcheon was a pivotal engagement where the ROK Army’s 8th Division, reinforced by regiments from the 1st and 6th Divisions, expelled the North Korean 15th Division from Yeongcheon. This victory secured the eastern flank of the Nakdong River defensive line. It marked a turning point, as North Korea’s drive toward Daegu stalled, allowing UN and ROK forces to shift to counteroffensive operations.

The homecoming ceremony for Private Choi was held February 10 at his sister’s home in Jeonju, as requested by the family. Choi Gil-ja shared her emotions: “Days before MAKRI called about the identification, I dreamed of my brother. I felt I should offer him a meal, so I bought chopsticks and a spoon. When I got the call saying they’d found him, it felt like a dream come true. I want to lay his remains in the national cemetery, in a place of honor. I’m overjoyed that I can fulfill this duty before I pass on.”

Army Lt. Col. Kim Seong-hwan, MAKRI’s acting director, presented the family with a commemorative plaque, identification documents, and a box containing Choi’s recovered personal effects. He detailed Choi’s service history, the recovery process, and the identification journey. Kim emphasized, “Family DNA samples are crucial for identifying Korean War casualties. Starting with Private Choi this year, we hope to reunite more fallen heroes with their families. We urge the public to actively participate in this effort.”