North Korea reportedly plans to repatriate the remains of 50 to 55 American soldiers killed during the Korean War later this month. 

The American military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported on the North’s plan on Tuesday citing a U.S. official, who said the North will allow the U.S. to take the remains on July 27th. 

Under the plan, which the report described as the preliminary outcome of the working-level military talks between the U.S. and the North at the truce village of Panmunjeom on Monday, the U.S. will send transit cases via truck to the Demilitarized Zone(DMZ). 

The caskets will then be given to the North and a U.S. delegation will retrieve the caskets containing the remains and send them either to Osan Air Base in South Korea or Hawaii. 

July 27th marks the 65th anniversary of the Armistice that ended the Korean War. 

If the North repatriates the war dead as planned, it will be the first time the regime has done so since early 2007.

[Photo : KBS News]