Ministry of National Defense and United Nations Command hosted a repatriation ceremony at US Army Garrison Yongsan, Republic of Korea, June 22, 2017. Service members attended the ceremony to bid farewell to a fallen hero who fought during the Korean War. (USFK)

South Korea and the United States began joint regular identification work Monday on possible remains of American soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, Seoul's defense ministry said.

The two-day examinations on the remains suspected to be those of four US soldiers got under way between officials from the ministry's war remains excavation team and the US Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency at the team's office in southern Seoul.

DPAA Laboratory Director John Byrd joined this week's examinations that will focus on analyzing the age, race and the cause of death of the remains based on combat records and other reports, according to the ministry.

One set of the remains was found at a former battle site, Arrowhead Ridge, in the border county of Cheorwon, 85 kilometers northeast of Seoul, in May 2021, while the rest in the western city of Seosan, about 100 km southwest of the capital, in March this year.

Based on earlier DNA analysis by the ministry's team, the remains discovered at Arrowhead Ridge have been determined as that of someone of European descent.

"On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the South Korea-US alliance, we will further strengthen mutual exchange and cooperation, and continue efforts to find those who are still missing until the end," Lee Keun-won, head of the ministry's team, was quoted as saying.

The two sides have conducted such joint analysis work two to four times every year since the founding of the ministry's team in 2007. (Yonhap)