ZCZC
BFF-23
DPRK-US-TALK
DPRK, U.S. hold talks to discuss return of U.S. soldiers’ remains in
Korean War
SEOUL, July 15, 2018 (BSS/XINHUA) – The Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea (DPRK) and the United States held talks Sunday to discuss the
repatriation of U.S. soldiers’ remains during the 1950-1953 Korean War,
Yonhap news agency said citing unnamed sources.
Multiple sources of the South Korean government and the U.S. Forces Korea
were quoted as saying military officers from the two sides kicked off the
general-level dialogue from 10 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) at the border
village of Panmunjom.
The delegations, led by general-level military officers, were believed to
discuss when and how to repatriate remains of U.S. soldiers killed in the
DPRK side during the Korean War that ended with an armistice, not a peace
treaty.
Pyongyang and Washington originally planned to hold such talks Thursday,
but it was delayed by the DPRK because of its lack of preparations.
It marked the first general-level military talks between the UN Command,
led by a U.S. general, and the DPRK since March 2009. Such talks had been
held 16 times since 1998.
U.S. President Donald Trump and DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un reached an
agreement on the repatriation of the U.S. soldiers’ remains during their
first summit on June 12 in Singapore.
BSS/XINHUA/GMR/1325 hrs