U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said that U.S. personnel could be sent to North Korea to assist in the search and excavation of the remains of U.S. soldiers killed in the Korean War.

Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon on Friday, Mattis called North Korea’s decision to turn over the remains a “humanitarian act” that “sets a positive environment and a positive tone for other things,” including the North's denuclearization.

He also said the Pentagon could deploy U.S. military teams to North Korea for the first time in years to help search for the remains of U.S. troops killed during the Korean War, as agreed between the U.S. and North Korea during general level talks held earlier this month.

The U.S. military has not searched for remains in North Korea since 2005.