U.S. soldiers' remains found in N. Korea will go to lab

WASHINGTON -- Remains believed to be those of 11 American soldiers missing in action from the Korean War will be flown to a military identification laboratory in Hawaii, U.S. officials said Monday.

The remains were recovered this month by U.S. specialists searching two areas of North Korea where U.S. forces took heavy losses during in November-December 1950 after Chinese forces entered the war.

The 11 sets of remains will be flown first to Yokota Air Base, Japan, for a formal U.N. Command repatriation ceremony Tuesday and then to the Army's Central Identification Laboratory for positive identification.

Pentagon officials said five of the 11 were found near the Chosin Reservoir, where soldiers of the Army's 7th Infantry Division fought fierce battles with Chinese troops. The other six were found in separate searches in Unsan County, about 60 miles north of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital. Unsan County was the site of battles between Chinese forces and the Army's 1st Cavalry and 25th Infantry Divisions.

In two searches of the same areas earlier this year, a total of 15 sets of remains were recovered.

Since 1996 the Pentagon has conducted 25 searches for war remains in various parts of North Korea, yielding 178 sets of remains believed to be those of U.S. soldiers listed as MIA. Only 13 of the 178 have been positively identified and returned to their families for burial with military honors.

Negotiations on next year's searches have yet to begin.

There are still about 8,100 U.S. servicemen listed as missing in action from the Korean War.