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DNA could identify UK troops killed during the Korean War

The MoD is asking for samples after North Korea agreed to return remains following Donald Trump's summit with Kim Jong Un.

British troops prepare to board Empire Windrush in Southampton heading to Korea
Image: British troops prepare to board Empire Windrush in Southampton heading to Korea
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Relatives of British troops who were killed during the Korean War are being offered the chance to provide DNA samples to verify remains.

The offer, from the Ministry of Defence, follows the summit between US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June.

The men signed the Sentosa Agreement, which includes a commitment to recover remains from North Korea and return them to the US for identification.

The summit was the first between sitting presidents of North Korea and the US
Image: Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un met in June

Those remains could include UK casualties, the MOD said, and DNA samples will be used to aid analysis.

There are up to 295 UK service personnel who were killed or missing in action and unaccounted for in the conflict, the MOD added.

Any British troops identified will be given military funerals at the United Nations cemetery in South Korea.

The MOD said it intends to cover the costs for immediate family to enable them to attend.

More on North Korea

About 100,000 British service personnel from the Army, Navy and RAF served in Korea alongside UN forces.

The conflict, between 1950 and 1953, led to the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives from Korea, China and the United Nations Command (UNC).

:: Families of soldiers with no known grave should call the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre on 01452 854622, or 855258.