Plane said to carry war remains from North Korea lands at US base

PYEONGTAEK, South Korea -- A U.S. military plane has returned from North Korea and landed at Osan Air Base in South Korea after reportedly picking up the remains of what are believed to be U.S. servicemen killed during the Korean War.

An Associated Press journalist at the base outside the capital Seoul saw the plane land Friday, and the White House earlier confirmed that North Korea has turned over the potential remains.

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The U.N. Command says the 55 cases of war remains retrieved from North Korea will be honored at a ceremony next Wednesday at a base in South Korea.

A U.S. military plane flew to Wonsan, North Korea, on Friday to pick up what are believed to be the remains of U.S. servicemen killed in the Korean War. The transfer is meant to fulfill a commitment made by leader Kim Jong Un during his summit with President Donald Trump in June.

U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Vincent K. Brooks in a statement from the U.N. Command called the retrieval mission successful. "Now, we will prepare to honor our fallen before they continue on their journey home."

Sometime after Wednesday's ceremony, the remains are expected to be transferred to a base in Hawaii for testing.

About 7,700 U.S. soldiers are listed as missing from the Korean War, and 5,300 of the remains are believed to still be in North Korea. The war killed millions, including 36,000 American soldiers.