As U.S. President Donald Trump emphasizes his willingness to push for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un within the year, a relevant official revealed that the White House has received a briefing from a U.S. Department of Defense agency regarding plans to recover and repatriate remains of U.S. service members in North Korea. This move indicates that the White House has inquired with the Pentagon about viable cooperation measures with North Korea, keeping the possibility of a North Korea-U.S. summit in mind. As the United States accelerates efforts to resume summit diplomacy with North Korea, both the White House and the Trump administration appear to be undertaking various working-level preparations in anticipation of future negotiation progress.

Kelly McKeague, Director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) under the U.S. Department of Defense, stated during a video conference hosted by the National Committee on North Korea (NCNK) on the 31st of last month (local time), "We were asked by the White House what the DPAA could realistically accomplish within a feasible scope if President Trump reaches an agreement with the North Korean leader."

In response, McKeague explained that he presented the White House with options for receiving U.S. remains currently held by North Korea and resuming joint remains recovery operations inside North Korea, which have been suspended since 2005.

The repatriation of U.S. remains was a key agreement stemming from the first North Korea-U.S. summit held in Singapore in June 2018. At the time, North Korea handed over 55 boxes containing presumed U.S. remains to the United States about a month and a half after the summit. However, discussions concerning remains recovery operations have failed to make progress following the breakdown of the second North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February 2019, commonly referred to as the "Hanoi no-deal."

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]