Trump says N. Korea has returned remains of 200 U.S. soldiers
  • 6 years ago
North Korea has reportedly returned the remains of scores of American soldiers who died during the Korean War.
U.S. President Donald Trump said as much during a campaign rally on Wednesday.
That said,... despite Trump's comments and a Wall Street Journal report,... there's been no confirmation yet from military authorities.
Ko Roon-hee reports.

Speaking at a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said North Korea has returned the remains of 200 U.S. troops missing from the Korean War.

"We got back our great fallen heroes, the remains, in fact today, already 200 have been sent back."

Multiple news outlets had been saying the transfer was going to happen soon,... citing U.S. officials.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that they would be handed over in the next day or two.
A U.S. official told the Journal that the remains would likely be brought to Osan Air Base, located some 60 kilometers south of Seoul.
After a ceremony, the official said, they would be sent to Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii for scientific testing and identification.

However, the official pointed out that the remains are "co-mingled."
This means that there might be individuals of other nationalities, not just Americans.
After the identification process, non-U.S. remains will be sent back to their home countries.

This comes after President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a joint statement at their summit in Singapore on June 12th... in which they committed to recovering the remains of prisoners of war and those missing in action from the Korean War,… including the immediate repatriation of those already identified.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, about 77-hundred U.S. military personnel remain unaccounted from the Korean War… of whom about 53-hundred are estimated to be in North Korea.
Meanwhile, South Korea's defense ministry said it can't confirm anything yet... including where the transfer was to take place.
Ko Roon-hee, Arirang News.
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