U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during the 'National POW/MIA Recognition Day' ceremony held at the Pentagon parade grounds on the 19th (local time). Yonhap News. 

The U.S. Department of Defense held its annual ceremony on the 19th (local time) to honor service members who were taken as prisoners of war or went missing in action.

During the 'National POW/MIA Recognition Day' ceremony held at the Pentagon parade grounds, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated, "I promise you that we will work tirelessly to bring our warriors home and that we will never forget their service and sacrifice."

Secretary Hegseth emphasized, "The Department of Defense works every day to restore the 'warrior ethos,' and one of the core elements of that ethos is never to leave a fallen comrade behind. It is our sacred duty to uphold that spirit and to recover every fallen hero to the fullest extent possible, whenever we can."

He noted that there are nearly 81,000 service members still missing from World War II, the Cold War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War, adding, "We owe them an immeasurable debt. They made the greatest sacrifice that can be offered on the altar of freedom."

Referencing the milestone in March when the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) identified the 100th U.S. service member from the remains sent by North Korea, Secretary Hegseth remarked, "This was thanks to the historic agreement secured by President Trump during his first term."

Following the 2018 Singapore summit agreement between then-President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, North Korea sent 55 boxes of remains to the United States that year.

The event was attended by families of the missing and veterans who were former prisoners of war, and featured a 'Missing Man' formation flight by U.S. Navy fighter jets to honor fallen pilots.

U.S. Navy fighter jets fly over the 'National POW/MIA Recognition Day' ceremony held at the Pentagon on the 19th (local time). Yonhap News. 

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