Washington: The White House has consulted with a Pentagon agency to explore potential actions should U.S. President Donald Trump successfully negotiate a deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the director of the agency revealed. This development signals Trump's interest in resuming diplomatic engagements with Kim.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kelly McKeague, director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), disclosed during an online forum that the DPAA has informed both the White House and the Defense Department of its readiness to engage with Pyongyang. The goal is to recover the remains of U.S. troops who were killed during the 1950-53 Korean War. McKeague's comments come amid Trump's expressed intention to meet Kim later this year, suggesting a possible revival of the personal diplomacy that led to three prior meetings between Trump and Kim during Trump's first term in office.
McKeague compared the current situation to the lead-up to the Singapore summit in 2018, stating that the agency was again asked about possible actions if Trump reaches an agreement with Kim. He emphasized that it would be beneficial for North Korea to return remains they currently hold and to resume joint field missions, which last occurred in 2005.
The DPAA has proposed a program for recovery operations at North Korean sites, with two teams operating four times a year for 42-day periods. This suggests the Trump administration may be seriously considering reengagement with Pyongyang. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump is seeking a meeting with Kim, potentially during his next trip to Asia for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November.
The DPAA has been eager to resume excavation and recovery operations in North Korea, as the remains of approximately 5,300 U.S. troops are believed to be in the North. Although Washington and Pyongyang conducted joint excavation efforts from 1996 to 2005, only two unilateral turnovers of American troop remains have occurred since, facilitated by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson in 2007 and by Trump through his summit with Kim in Singapore in 2018.
McKeague reiterated that the DPAA is "ready" for troop recovery work with North Korea and expressed optimism about potential engagement given Trump's diplomatic efforts with Kim. He noted that cooperation over the return of troop remains could serve as a "tool of engagement" with a former adversary, emphasizing the mission's humanitarian nature and its role as a diplomatic tool for dialogue and communication with countries experiencing geopolitical tensions.