U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced that the U.S. and North Korea have agreed to restart joint operations to search for the remains of American soldiers killed in the Korean War.

Pompeo said in a statement on Sunday that the two nations agreed to recommence field operations to search for the estimated 53-hundred Americans who never returned home from the Korean War.

The secretary said that the agreement came at a general-level meeting between the two sides earlier in the day, noting that it was the first time the two countries had held such talks since 2009.

He said that the meeting was aimed at fulfilling one of the commitments made by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the Washington-Pyongyang summit, adding the talks were "productive and cooperative and resulted in firm commitments."

Pompeo said the two sides will begin working-level talks on Monday to coordinate the next steps for the repatriation of remains, including the transfer of those already collected in the North.

North Korea and the U.S.-led United Nations Command(UNC) held general-level talks on Sunday at the northern side of the truce village of Panmunjeom for two hours from 10 a.m. 

Michael Minihan, chief of staff for the UNC and U.S. Forces Korea, reportedly led the U.S delegation. The North Korean delegation is said to have included a general from the Korean People's Army.

[Photo : YONHAP News]