Some families of the US Korean War dead have waited decades for closure about their missing loved ones, with the remains of an estimated 5,300 thought still to be scattered across North Korean territory.
On Thursday the remains of 55 people were transferred back – but how do you begin to identify decades-old remains?
Initial examination
CNN reports say that US officials planned to make a “cursory review” of what was being transferred over by the North Koreans, which was then photographed.
Experts will then look a bit more closely, examining any material evidence found alongside, such as uniforms and identification tags, for clues.
After a formal repatriation ceremony, the remains will then go to the Defence POW/MIA Accounting Agency lab (DPAA) in Hawaii – which describes itself as the largest anthropological lab in the world – where remains from servicemen from World War II, Korea and Vietnam are tested.
Experts there have admitted that 99% of the Korean War missing don't have DNA on file, so the process is multi-layered…
