The National Forensic Service announced on October 6 that it has confirmed family relationships for 1,000 missing persons, including children, individuals with intellectual disabilities, and elderly people with dementia, through DNA testing. This milestone comes 22 years after the program was initiated in 2004.
The DNA testing program began with the implementation of the 'Act on the Protection and Support of Missing Children.' Initially focused on missing children, the program has since expanded to include individuals with intellectual disabilities and elderly people with dementia.
As the program has become established, the database of DNA samples from missing persons and their families has steadily grown. According to the '2025 Annual Report on Missing Children' submitted to the National Assembly by the police and the Ministry of Health and Welfare in early August, over 45,000 DNA samples have been collected since the program's inception. Of these, 39,590 samples are from individuals seeking to find their family members, while 5,903 samples are from guardians searching for missing persons.
The DNA analysis to locate missing family members is conducted through close collaboration among relevant agencies, including the police and the Child Rights Protection Agency, following strict procedures. When a person seeking to find a family member visits a police station or when police collect oral cells from individuals in protective facilities, the Child Rights Protection Agency assigns a coded identifier to manage personal information separately. The National Forensic Service then conducts precise analysis of the collected oral samples to confirm familial relationships through the 'DNA Information System for Locating Missing Persons.'
The National Forensic Service has enhanced the reliability of DNA testing by introducing the latest analytical techniques and cross-validating different analytical systems. Lee Bong-woo, the head of the National Forensic Service, stated, "Reaching this 1,000-case milestone is the result of 22 years of effort and advancements in DNA analysis technology and database development. We will continue to collaborate with relevant agencies to quickly locate missing children and reunite them with their families."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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