US soldiers’ remains returned

UN honour guards carry small boxes containing remains believed to be of American servicemen killed during the 195053 Korean War, at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, yesterday.

A US military transport plane flew to an airfield in North Korea’s northeastern city of Wonsan to bring the remains to Osan in the South, a statement said.

Soldiers in dress uniform with white gloves were seen slowly carrying 55 small cases covered with UN insignia, placing them one by one into silver vans waiting on the tarmac.

Straightbacked officers looked on, next to the flags of the United States, South Korea and the United Nations.

A formal repatriation ceremony would be held at Osan on Wednesday, the White House statement said.

The handover follows through on a promise North Korean leader Kim Jongun made to US President Donald Trump when the leaders met in June and is the first tangible result from the muchhyped summit.

The transfer of the remains coincided with the 65th anniversary of the 1953 armistice agreement that ended fighting, although the two Koreas are technically still at war because a peace treaty was never signed.

About 7700 US soldiers are listed as missing from the Korean War, and 5300 of the remains are believed to still be in North Korea. Millions died in the war, including 36,000 American soldiers.