Pompeo optimistic after talks on war remains

SEOUL, South Korea — U.S. and North Korean officials held “productive” talks Sunday to discuss the return of U.S. service members’ remains missing since the Korean War, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.

Pompeo, who was not part of the talks, said in a statement that working-level meetings between U.S. and North Korean officials would begin on Monday “to coordinate the next steps, including the transfer of remains already collected” in North Korea.

It was not immediately clear who took part in Sunday’s talks, held at the tense inter-Korean border. Pompeo said they were “the first General Officer-level talks” with North Korea since 2009.

He said the meeting “was aimed at fulfilling one of the commitments” made by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at last month’s summit with President Donald Trump in Singapore.

“Today’s talks were productive and cooperative and resulted in firm commitments,” Pompeo said.

“Additionally, both sides agreed to re-commence field operations in the DPRK to search for the estimated 5,300 Americans who never returned home,” he said. North Korea is officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

North Korean officials skipped a planned meeting with U.S. officials over the war remains last week, citing lack of preparations. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said the North then requested higher level talks with the U.S.led United Nations Command.

There’s speculation that Pyongyang is trying to fast-track discussions on more critical issues, such as reaching a declaration to formally end the war, which stopped on an armistice and not a peace treaty.

Last month, the U.S. military moved 100 wooden coffins to the inter-Korean border to prepare for the return of U.S. war remains.