The M1 Garand rifle, known as the most widely used rifle by the South Korean military during the Korean War.

On the rifle, worn and rusted by the passage of time, eight bullets remain exactly as they were.

An investigation revealed that seven bullets remained in the magazine, while one was still loaded in the chamber.

These are the personal effects left behind by the late Private Cho Young-ho, who was 24 years old at the time.

The Cultural Heritage Conservation Science Center under the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage announced on Thursday (June 25) that it has completed the preservation treatment of 81 personal effects of Korean War fallen soldiers and delivered them to the Ministry of National Defense Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification.

Preservation treatment refers to the process of restoring artifacts to their original state and preventing further damage.

It includes removing dust and contaminants from the surface and reinforcing weakened areas.

At the request of the KIA Recovery and Identification agency, the center has worked for approximately three years since 2023 to restore the original appearance of items such as rank insignia, firearms, and helmet components left by fallen soldiers.

In the case of helmet components, the center identified the materials used in the part engraved with "UNITED" to determine the country of manufacture and the period of supply, and also examined recovered bullets and shell casings.

The center plans to receive and preserve a total of 74 additional items by the end of next year, including personal effects of six fallen soldiers whose identities have been confirmed through excavation, 10 large firearms, and black-and-white photographs.

A center official stated, "Black-and-white photographs are rarely found among excavated artifacts," adding, "We hope that through preservation treatment, we can identify some of the individuals whose identities remain unknown."

The institute released a video detailing the achievements of the preservation work on YouTube on June 22.

The video features a special appearance by actor Shin Hyun-joon, the son of the late Colonel Shin In-kyun, a Korean War veteran, who personally examines Private Cho Young-ho's M1 Garand rifle.

In the video, Shin Hyun-joon said, "To me, the Korean War is not just history found in textbooks, but my father's story," adding, "I am grateful for the highest level of respect shown to those who sacrificed their lives for their country."

(Photo: Provided by the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Yonhap News)