The South Korean military resumed excavating the remains of soldiers killed in action during the Korean War inside the demilitarized zone approximately three years after tensions with North Korea suspended the operation.

Seoul's defense ministry announced Wednesday that it had resumed efforts to recover the remains around Baekma Ridge in Gangwon Province, where one of the three-year conflict's deadliest battles took place.

The ministry said the resumed project aims to ease military tensions, return the remains of those killed in action to their families and country and turn the DMZ into a peace zone.

While the two Koreas agreed to trial a joint excavation in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, as part of a 2018 military deal, Seoul ended up launching the project in April 2019 and proceeding without Pyongyang's participation.

The dig began at Hwasalmeori Ridge and continued to Baekma Ridge before work was suspended after November 2022 due to the worsening security situation on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea recovered what appear to be the remains of 424 people and 101-thousand-816 personal items at Hwasalmeori Ridge between April 2019 and June 2021, as well as 67 sets of remains and 15-thousand-670 possessions at Baekma Ridge between September 2021 and November 2022.