US delegation to recover US soldiers' remains arrives in NKorea |
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Sun, 08 Apr 2007 15:02
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SEOUL (XFN-ASIA) - A high-level US delegation led by former UN ambassador Bill Richardson arrived in North Korea, days ahead of a key deadline under a six-party deal to dismantle Pyongyang's nuclear program, North Korea's state news agency reported.The bipartisan team -- officially on a mission to recover the remains of US soldiers killed in the Korean War -- arrived in the North Korean capital in late afternoon, the agency said.The White House has said that the trip by Richardson, accompanied by National Security Council director for Asia Victor Cha among others, is 'separate' from the six-party talks on ending the North's nuclear drive.However, the four-day trip comes with time running out for North Korea to make good on its pledge to shut down a key nuclear facility and allow the return of UN nuclear inspectors in return for 50,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil.The pledge is part of an aid-for-disarmament deal reached on February 13 by the US, China, the two Koreas, Russia and Japan. Pyongyang had 60 days from that date to fulfil its promises.The US said Friday that a major obstacle to the continuation of the six-party process had likely been overcome, with a mechanism found to unblock 25 mln usd in frozen North Korean funds.The delay in the return of the allegedly illicit funds has stalled the six-nation negotiations, as North Korea has refused to return to the talks or meet its promises until the money is returned.The delegation led by Richardson, the governor of New Mexico and a 2008 Democratic presidential hopeful, will on Wednesday visit the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom, where the soldiers' remains are to be transferred.The US team will then cross the border and head for a US army garrison in South Korea for a formal repatriation ceremony on Thursday.More than 33,000 US troops died in the Korean War from 1950-1953, and about 8,100 are listed as missing.'Our objective is to try to see if we can get some remains of the very proud and honorable servicemen that perished in the Korean War,' Richardson said before leaving for Pyongyang.'So if we get some remains back, it's a sign of progress in the relationship.'afp
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