Remains of US soldiers killed in Korean War arrive at Pearl Harbor

Remains of what are believed to be 55 US soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War arrived on Wednesday in the US after North Korea returned them a few days ago under agreements reached between the leaders of both countries.

Resting inside coffins wrapped in US flags, the remains arrived from South korea at the US Naval Base Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, where a ceremony presided over by the country's Vice President, Mike Pence, was held.

When North Korea delivered the remains to members of the United Nations Command in Korea on Jul. 27, the coffins were wrapped in UN flags, Efe reported.

Pence, whose father fought in the Korean War, said the US "will never stop striving until every hero lost in the Korean War is home" and hence keep its promise "to leave no man behind."

"Today, our boys are coming home," Pence said, adding that the 55 remains arriving in the US on Wednesday "are the heroes who will lead the way to many homecomings in the future."

The US will now try to identify the remains through DNA testing and will resume the joint efforts with Pyongyang to continue searching for the 5,300 US servicemen believed to have been killed north of the 38th parallel during the Korean War.

--IANS

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