CLOSURE

North Korea to Begin Handing Over U.S. Remains, Officials Say

A “sizable number” of remains of soldiers are expected in the next few days.

American military authorities in South Korea are reportedly preparing for North Korea to hand over in the next few days the remains of U.S. service members who went missing in the Korean War, U.S. officials said late Tuesday. Pyongyang is expected to deliver the remains to the United Nations Command in South Korea before they are transferred to the Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, according to officials cited by Reuters. One U.S. official told the publication a “sizable number” of remains was expected from North Korea, though no further details were available on the exact number or whether they are the remains of U.S. or allied service members. President Trump has repeatedly touted the imminent return of the remains as a major accomplishment of his June 12 summit with Kim Jong Un. The last time North Korea turned over U.S. remains was in 2007, though the remains of more than 200 U.S. service members are thought to still be located in various cemeteries and areas throughout the countryside.