US Paid No Money to N Korea for Return of Remains of Its Troops - State Dept.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United States did not give money to North Korea in exchange for the recovery and return of the remains of US soldiers, killed during the Korean War of 1950-1953, US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

"US code grants the secretary of defense the authority to reimburse the DPRK, or any other country, for expenses associated with the recovery and storage of remains. In this instance, North Korea did not ask for money and no money was exchanged," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told the CNN broadcaster.

On Friday, a US airplane carried the remains of US soldiers to the Osan Air Base in South Korea from the North Korean port of Wonsan.

The US and North Korea earlier in June held productive talks on the repatriation of remains of US soldiers killed during the 1950-1953 Korean War, State Secretary Mike Pompeo stated.

READ MORE: North Korea Hands Over Remains of Fallen American Soldiers to US

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed at the June 12 summit with US President Donald Trump in Singapore to help the United States recover the remains of fallen US service members and prisoners of war.

A formal repatriation ceremony will be held at the base on August 1, then the remains will be transported to the US state of Hawaii for forensic identification.