The defense ministry said Monday it has launched second-half operations to recover and identify the remains of soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War, continuing its efforts to bring closure to families of service members killed in action or still missing. The Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification under the ministry will carry out the excavation project starting Monday through Nov. 27, deploying troops from 14 Army divisions and brigades, and the 1st Marine Division, the ministry said. The troops will be deployed to mountainous areas in more than 20 regions across Gyeonggi, Gangwon, South Chungcheong, North Jeolla and North Gyeongsang provinces. In particular, they plan to focus on the border areas of Paju, Cheorwon and the southeastern county of Gunwi, key battlegrounds against North Korean and Chinese communist forces at the height of the three-year conflict. The Army's 5th Division, responsible for the Battle of Baengmagoji (White Horse Hill) area, will spend the entire three-month period working on the excavation and recovery of remains in the area, unlike other units that wi