Temple hands remains of Korean war dead to kin

More than 60 years after the war, 50 South Koreans can finally take the remains of their loved ones home.

The South Koreans attended a memorial ceremony Tuesday at Yutenji Temple in Meguro Ward, Tokyo, to commemorate Koreans who served in the Japanese military and died during the war. The visitors, who arrived in Japan on Monday, were scheduled to return home Wednesday with the remains of 101 of their relatives.

During the ceremony organized by the government, most of which was closed to the media, Senior Vice Foreign Minister Hitoshi Kimura offered an apology to the South Korean participants by quoting the 1998 Japan-South Korea joint declaration signed by Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and South Korean President Kim Dae Jung, health ministry officials said.