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NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense

No. 495-04
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24, 2004
Media Contact: (703)697-5131
Public/Industry Contact: (703)428-0711

Remains of U.S. Servicemen Found in North Korea


Nineteen sets of remains believed to be those of American soldiers
missing in action from the Korean War were recovered by two teams of U.S.
specialists and will be repatriated to U.S. control at Yongsan Military Compound in
Seoul May 27.



The joint remains recovery work is the result of negotiations with
North Korea led by the Defense Department's POW/Missing Personnel Office. The
remains will be returned overland across the demilitarized zone for the first time
since 1999. Jerry D. Jennings, who led the negotiations with North Korea, will be
the ranking Department of Defense official participating in the repatriation.



A joint team operating near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea
recovered 12 sets of remains believed to be those of U.S. Army soldiers from the
7th Infantry Division who fought against Chinese forces from November-December
1950. Approximately 1,000 Americans are estimated to have been lost in battles of
the Chosin campaign.



Additionally, a second team recovered seven sets of remains in Unsan
County, about 60 miles north of Pyongyang. This area was the site of battles
between communist forces and the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry and 25th Infantry
Divisions in November 1950.



The 28-person U.S. contingent was composed primarily of specialists
from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, where the
remains will be flown to begin the forensic identification process.



Since 1996, 28 individual joint operations have been conducted in North
Korea, during which more than 200 sets of remains believed to be those of U.S.
soldiers have been recovered. Of the 88,000 U.S. servicemembers missing in action
from all conflicts, more than 8,100 are from the Korean War.



For additional information about POW/MIA recoveries, visit
http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo [http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo] , or call the Defense
POW/Missing Personnel Office at (703) 699-1169.