North Korea accepts U.S. request to discuss recovering war dead

North Korea accepts U.S. request to discuss recovering war dead

2011-08-19 17:15:15 GMT+7 (ICT)

PYONGYANG (BNO NEWS) -- North Korea has formally accepted a U.S. request to discuss the recovery of U.S. soldiers who were killed in the Asian country during the Korean War, a spokesman for North Korea's Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

The spokesman said the United States recently sent an official letter to North Korea, which is officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), to request holding talks about the recovery of the remains of U.S. war dead.

"North Korea affirmatively accepted the U.S. proposal to hold talks from a humanitarian perspective," the spokesman said at a news conference in Pyongyang. "Military talks between North Korea and the United States are being planned."

The Korean War began in June 1950 and lasted until July 1953 when an armistice was signed, not a peace treaty. The war involved South Korea, which had support from the United Nations, and North Korea, which was supported by China.

More than 36,000 Americans were killed in the military conflict, but more than 8,000 American servicemen have still not been accounted for. The U.S. Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) has some 400 boxes in its archives which contain human remains, believed to be containing hundreds of missing soldiers, but most will probably never be identified.

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