US seeking North Korean talks on recovering US war remains

WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior Pentagon official says the U.S. hopes to begin face-to-face negotiations with North Korea next month on terms for resuming on-the-ground searches in North Korea for remains of American servicemen.

The official, Kelly McKeague (Mac-keg’), tells reporters the aim is to begin searches next spring if agreement can be reached on areas of dispute such as the kinds of amounts of compensation to North Korea.

McKeague is director of the Defense POW-MIA Accounting Agency, which is responsible for recovering and identifying remains of U.S. war dead, including the thousands unaccounted for from the 1950-53 Korean War.

McKeague says the remains of two U.S. servicemen returned by North Korea in July have been positively identified, but he would not disclose their names, saying the White House wants to do that.