Remains of 15 S. Koreans, 2 Americans handed over 6 decades after deaths

SEOUL, South Korea - The remains of 15 South Koreans and two Americans who were killed more than 60 years ago in North Korea were officially handed over Thursday.

Killed The repatriation of South Korean soldiers during fighting in the north, is relatively rare, since the bitter enemies technically remain at war after the Korean War 1950-1953 ended in a truce. However, some remains of the US team searching for their own dead under a now-defunct agreement with North Korea were accidentally unearthed.

General Curtis Scaparrotti US Forces Korea commander, said it is important to remember killed during the war the Servicemembers.

"Because of their sacrifice, the Republic of Korea is a thriving democracy and a prosperous economy," he said as he over the handover ceremony at US Army Garrison-Yongsan Ritterfeld the Presidency, was attended by the South Korean defense minister and the head of the US Agency search for POW-MIAs supervise. "As we stand in their shadow, we hope that their return brings a sense of peace and closure to their families."

After a 21-gun salute and the sounding of taps, by an honor guard deferentially a coffin covered with a UN flag, the American soldiers remains contains on a black hearse.

South Korean soldiers collected then draped 15 boxes with flag of their country by a long table and carried it to a white bus with a yellow wreath decorated.

South Korean search teams found the two sets of American last year in Yanggu province remains near the Demilitarized Zone, the site of the fight against the 9th Infantry Division in the summer and autumn are involved in 1951. More than 7,800 Americans who fought in the war still listed as is missing.

The South Korean soldiers remains were from teams with the US Department of Defense POW / MIA Accounting Agency, which recovered in North Korea in 2000-04. They were in different places, including Kujang, Unsan and found on the eastern side of the Chosin Reservoir, an area that saw some of the fiercest fighting of the war, the military said.

Forensic investigators in Hawaii determined the remains were not Americans and later confirmed were South Korean, officials said, adding they were still to identify persons to work.

Retired Army Lt. Gene. Michael S. Linnington, DPAA director said the repatriation comes from a memorandum of agreement signed last November confirmed cooperation on remains of soldiers from both countries to recover.

The head of the South Korean Defense excavation mission said that the remains of about 40,000 South Koreans are to be believed buried in North Korea. "We are ready to bring them home, if only North Korea would agree," he said in an earlier statement.

Joint US-North Korea team about three dozen restore operations between 1996 and 2005 carried out, but they were stopped after Washington voiced security concerns. Talks bother began in 2011 to restart, but broke off after North Korea launched a rocket despite ban ballistic missile technology to life.

Tensions have risen again this year with the North its fourth nuclear test in early January and a month later staging rocket of long-range, to lead a new round of tough sanctions UNO.