The return of the remains of US soldiers from the 1950-1953 Korean War was agreed at the June summit between the North Korean and US leaders. There is no reason to doubt they relate to war losses, the US believes.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/C. Sung-Jun
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A ceremony with full military honors was held in South Korea on Wednesday. It was attended by Americans, South Koreans and other soldiers and officials from UN member countries that fought in the war.
The remains, which had been transferred into full-sized caskets draped with UN flags, were loaded onto a military transport aircraft and flown from South Korea's Osan Air Base to Hawaii for further analysis and identification. Positively identifying the remains could take days to decades.
The US Defense director of analysis for the POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), John Byrd, said on Wednesday: "There is no reason to doubt that they do relate to Korean War losses."
Byrd said that the North Koreans had provided information about where each body had been found so that it would be possible to match the individuals to battles fought.
The remains were brought to South Korea, where a ceremony was held at Osan Air BaseImage: Reuters/K. Hong-Ji
Repatriation breakthrough
Friday's transfer of the remains was the first of its kind in over a decade and coincided with the 65th anniversary of the 1953 armistice. The two sides are technically still at war since no peace treaty was signed.
North Korea handed over 437 caskets between 1990 and 2005, of which 334 identities have been established, according to the DPAA. But the recovery effort stalled for more than a decade due to a standoff over North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
About 7,700 US soldiers are listed as missing from the 1950-53 Korean War. About 5,300 of the remains are believed to still be in North Korea.
US soldiers during the Korean War in 1950Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
Further identification required
Byrd told reporter: "The remains are consistent with remains we have recovered in North Korea… in the past."
"There was a single dog tag (US soldier's identity tag) provided with the remains," Byrd said, adding that "the family of that individual has been notified. But I would caution… that it's not necessarily the case that the dog tag goes with the remains… in the box."
The transporter with the remains on board is due to land in Hawaii later Wednesday. There, an in-depth forensic analysis, in some cases using mitochondrial DNA profiles, will be conducted at a laboratory belonging to the US Defense Department.
Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un's historic summit in pictures
All eyes were on US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as they met for historic talks in Singapore. Between handshakes, they committed to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Loeb
First meeting
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump shake hands as they meet for the first time. Unlike in past meetings with some world leaders, Trump did not try to pull Kim's hand towards him or hold on to the North Korean leader's hand too long.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Loeb
From insults to 'special bond'
Trump and Kim appeared at ease with one another during the summit. Just a few months prior, Trump and Kim engaged in a war of words, trading insults like "little rocket man" and "mentally deranged." Following their meeting, Trump said he formed a "special bond" with Kim and that he'd like to invite him to the White House.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Loeb
Who's leading whom?
Kim lays a hand on Trump's back as they leave after signing a joint statement pledging peace negotiations and denuclearization. Some critics worried that the US agreed to give up too many things in negotiations with Kim. At a press conference, Trump said he wanted to stop US military exercises with South Korea and eventually withdraw US troops — something Pyongyang has been demanding for years.
Image: Reuters/J. Ernst
Four-point agreement
Trump displays the joint agreement he signed with Kim. In the four-point document, Kim agreed to the "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." In exchange, Trump agreed to provide "security guarantees" to Pyongyang. The two leaders also agreed to build a "robust peace regime" and to return the remains of prisoners of the 1950-1953 Korean War.
Image: Reuters/J. Ernst
All eyes on Trump and Kim
South Koreans watch the summit on a screen located at a train station in Seoul. Ahead of the event, critics expressed concern that the meeting between the two leaders would be purely symbolic and not bring concrete progress to easing tensions. Indeed, the agreement did not specify what exact measures would be taken.
Image: Getty Images/C. Sung-Jun
Honoring 'the bromance' in Singapore
A bartender in Singapore crafted a special drink for the summit, dubbed "The Bromance." The meeting was held on Singapore's Sentosa island, a resort area with luxury hotels and a theme park. The island's security was massively increased ahead of the summit, while local businesses marked the occasion with special Trump-Kim branded water and drinks.
