U.S., North Korea to resume talks about returning soldiers' remains

May 30, 2000
Web posted at: 6:10 a.m. HKT (2210 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. President Bill Clinton announced on Monday that the United States and North Korea have agreed to resume talks about returning the remains of U.S. servicemen, lost during the Korean War, to the United States.

Speaking during a solemn Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery just outside Washington, Clinton said the talks would begin the first week of June in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

"The United States will always honor and never forsake its fallen heroes," Clinton said, "and we will not abandon their families."

The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, and ended with a cease-fire agreement -- but no formal peace accord -- in 1953. Nearly 2 million Americans served in Korea, more than 36,000 died, and more than 8,100 are still listed as missing.

Earlier this month, North Korea agreed to restart the talks, which are to focus on the excavation of an area U.S. officials believe is the burial site for several hundred Americans.

The targeted area is near Unsan, which saw several battles between the U.S. Army's 8th Cavalry regiment and Chinese troops who launched a surprise offensive in late 1950.

The search for American remains came to a halt last year when North Korea demanded a new humanitarian program.

Since the recovery program began in 1996, 42 sets of remains have been identified and returned to the United States.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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