Remains believed to be those of American soldiers missing in action from the Korean War have been recovered by two teams of United States specialists and will be repatriated to U.S. control at Yongsan Military Compound in Seoul on Oct. 15.

 

            A more precise number will be determined in follow-on forensic examinations.

The repatriation marks the fifth and final remains recovery operation in North Korea this year.

 

            Since 1996, 32 joint operations have been conducted in North Korea, during which remains believed to be those of more than 200 soldiers have been recovered.  Of the 88,000 U.S. service members missing in action from all conflicts, more than 8,100 are from the Korean War.

 

            The joint remains recovery work resulted from negotiations with North Korea led by the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office.  The remains are to be repatriated overland across the demilitarized zone, as was done for the first four recovery operations in 2004.

 

            Specialists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) comprised the 27-man U.S. element of the recovery teams.  The first team operated near the Chosin Reservoir where the 1^st Marine Division and the Army’s 7^th Infantry Division fought Chinese forces November-December 1950.  Approximately 1,000 Americans are missing in action from the Chosin campaign.

 

            The second team recovered remains in Unsan County about 60 miles north of Pyongyang.  This area was the site of battles between communist forces and the U.S. Army’s 1^st Cavalry and 25^th Infantry divisions in November 1950.

 

            The remains will be flown to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, where the forensic identification process will take place in the JPAC laboratory.

           

            For additional information about POW/MIA recoveries, visit http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo, or call the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office at (703) 699-1169.