Trump thanks Kim for returning G.I. remains

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Friday for “keeping his word” and returning the remains of American troops killed in the 1950-53 Korean War.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump said he hoped the North Korean leader would “continue to fulfill that promise” through the recovery and repatriation of more remains. Earlier in the day, the U.S. military airlifted boxes of remains from North Korea to South Korea in line with a pledge that Kim made at his landmark summit with Trump in Singapore last month.

“At this moment, a plane is carrying the remains of some great fallen heroes from America back from the Korean War,” Trump said. “They’re coming back to the United States. Mike Pence, our wonderful vice president, will be there to greet the families and the remains.”

A U.S. Air Force plane transported 55 sets of remains to Osan Air Base, just south of Seoul, where they will be honored in a ceremony on Wednesday. The remains will then be sent to a forensics lab in Hawaii the same day.

“I want to thank Chairman Kim for keeping his word,” Trump said. “We have many others coming. But I want to thank Chairman Kim in front of the media for fulfilling a promise that he made to me, and I’m sure that he will continue to fulfill that promise as they search and search and search. These incredible American heroes will soon lay at rest on sacred American soil.”

The repatriation took on symbolic meaning because it coincided with the anniversary of the signing of the armistice agreement that ended fighting in the Korean War. The remains of an estimated 5,300 American soldiers have yet to be recovered from North Korea.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon that U.S. personnel could be sent to North Korea to assist in the search effort. He also noted that North Korea’s action on Friday set a “positive tone” for the two countries’ engagement on other issues, including Washington’s push to dismantle Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also expressed his appreciation to the North Korean leader, whom he has met at least three times as Washington’s point man on negotiations with Pyongyang.

“I’m pleased he is following through on that commitment,” Pompeo wrote on Twitter.

Pence acknowledged that he was asked by Trump to attend the ceremony in Hawaii on Wednesday.

“As the son of a Korean War combat veteran, it is deeply humbling to be part of this historic moment,” he said in a statement. “We will never forget the sacrifices these brave service members and their families made for our nation and our freedoms.”

The vice president’s father, Edward Pence, received the Bronze Star Medal in 1953 for his service during the war.

Yonhap