The South Korean government said Wednesday it will meet this week with the families of missing American soldiers from the 1950-53 Korean War.

A total of 418 family members of 214 service members who remain missing or taken as prisoners of war will be invited to the dinner event in Washington, D.C. on Thursday (local time), according to the Ministry of Patriots and Veteran Affairs


It's to "console them for their pain and sorrow for the past 65 years and deliver the message of gratitude for the lofty sacrifice and dedication by the soldiers," the ministry said.

It will be the first time for the ministry to host such a formal event in cooperation with the US Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

The US and 15 other countries dispatched troops to help the South fight against the invading North Korea during the war. Five others sent medical teams.

Nearly 1.8 million American troops participated in the conflict, with 33,686 of them killed and 92,134 wounded, official data showed. And 3,737 went missing, and 4,439 taken prisoner. (Yonhap)