South Korea resumed the excavation of Korean War remains inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) for the first time in three years on Wednesday, framing the effort as both a humanitarian mission and a step toward easing military tensions with North Korea.

The defense ministry said that the operation restarted in the morning at White Horse Hill (백마고지) in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province — the site of a fiercely contested battle during the Korean War — as part of ongoing efforts “to return the remains of fallen soldiers to their families and homeland.”