DNA technology helps confirm identities of 10 Chinese soliders

The identities of 10 Chinese soldiers who were killed in the 1950-1953 Korean War were recently confirmed using DNA technology after their remains were returned to China.

The Ministry of Veterans Affairs announced the results on Jan 26. The 10 martyrs are Chen Hanguan, Suo Weiliang, Li Yanxue, Bai Cunren, Li Rensong, Wang Xiyan, Qiu Nengqing, Wei Henglan, Lin Chengwang and Shi Wanzhong.

Among them, Lin and Shi were brought back from the Republic of Korea in 2021 and the other eight were returned in 2020.

Apart from Shi, whose personal belongings provided a clue, the identities of the others were confirmed by conducting comprehensive analysis and judgment based on historical records and information about previously identified martyrs. This led to the narrowing down of the scope of the search for martyrs' relatives, and after DNA identification and comparison, their identities were confirmed.

The ministry established a national martyrs' DNA identification laboratory in July 2022 to help confirm the identities of fallen soldiers.

A martyrs' DNA database and martyrs' relatives' DNA database were subsequently created to solve the problem of identifying old war remains. Breakthroughs have been made in key technologies and the development of testing reagents and instruments. As a result, the identities of 20 martyrs have been confirmed.

Since 2014, China has brought back the remains of 938 Chinese People's Volunteers soldiers from the Republic of Korea, along with 9,539 personal items. They were then buried at the CPV Martyrs' Cemetery in Shenyang, Liaoning province.

According to Xinhua News Agency, Li Rensong, a native of Mianyang, Sichuan province, left his pregnant wife shortly after their marriage in early 1953 to join the Korean War at the age of 23. On July 8, 1953, while on duty in the war, Li was hit by a bomb and died.

Li Renqing, 78, the younger brother of Li Rensong, recently learned the news that his brother's identity had been confirmed. He still remembered when his brother left home to join the army. He couldn't help but have tears well up in his eyes when sharing his brother's story.

Likewise, Li Yangui, the younger brother of Li Yanxue, told China Central Television that his family learned that Li died just over 10 days before the ceasefire agreement was reached. Now that his brother's identity was confirmed, the 85-year-old man said he would go to Shenyang when spring arrives to see his brother.