DPRK, US hold talks to discuss return of US soldiers' remains in Korean War

SEOUL - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States held talks Sunday to discuss the repatriation of US soldiers' remains during the 1950-1953 Korean War, Yonhap news agency said citing unnamed sources.

Multiple sources of the South Korean government and the US Forces Korea were quoted as saying military officers from the two sides kicked off the general-level dialogue from 10 am local time (0100 GMT) at the border village of Panmunjom.

The delegations, led by general-level military officers, were believed to discuss when and how to repatriate remains of US soldiers killed in the DPRK side during the Korean War that ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.

Pyongyang and Washington originally planned to hold such talks Thursday, but it was delayed by the DPRK because of its lack of preparations.

It marked the first general-level military talks between the UN Command, led by a US general, and the DPRK since March 2009. Such talks had been held 16 times since 1998.

US President Donald Trump and DPRK top leader Kim Jong-un reached an agreement on the repatriation of the US soldiers' remains during their first summit on June 12 in Singapore.