Re: N. Korean Remains Believed to Be Americans

Date: May 25, 2004

"Remains thought to be 19 US troops found in N.Korea
By Charles Aldinger

WASHINGTON, May 24 (Reuters) - Nineteen sets of remains believed to be those of U.S. troops missing from the 1950-53 Korean War have been recovered in North Korea and will be turned over to American control in South Korea on Tuesday, the Pentagon said on Monday.

The 19, found by joint U.S.-North Korean search teams near the Chosin Reservoir and in Unsan County, will be turned over at the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas and then driven to the Yongsan military compound in Seoul.

Since 1999, such remains have been flown by U.S. military aircraft from Pyongyang to Japan, but North Korea agreed in February to change the procedure. Specialists from the Pentagon's POW/MIA office will fly the remains from Seoul to Hickham Air Force Base in Hawaii for forensic identification.

One joint search team operating near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea recovered 12 sets of remains believed to be those of U.S. Army soldiers from the 7th Infantry Division, which fought against Chinese forces in November and December of 1950.

Approximately 1,000 Americans are thought to have been lost in battles of the Chosin campaign in harsh winter weather.

A second team found seven sets of remains in Unsan County, about 60 miles north of Pyongyang. That was the site of battles between communist forces and the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry and 25th Infantry Divisions in November 1950.

Since 1996, 28 individual joint search operations have been conducted in North Korea, during which more than 200 sets of remains believed to be those of U.S. soldiers have been recovered. More than 8,100 American troops are still missing from the Korean conflict.

The Pentagon said shortly after talks between the United States and North Korea in Bangkok in February that it was encouraged by Pyongyang's commitment to improve cooperation in this year's joint searches.

Officials of the two countries agreed then to resume repatriating remains across the demilitarized zone.

Additionally, supplies and equipment for planned search operations have been moved by ground transportation across the DMZ from South Korea into the North. "