DPAA says U.S. forces stand ready to resume POW/MIA digs in North Korea if diplomacy permits
DPAA senior operations officer John Pige... told reporters the agency is prepared to re-enter North Korea to recover U.S. war dead, but any move awaits higher-level diplomatic clearance.
At a briefing on the Pearl Harbor-Hickam joint base in Hawaii, DPAA senior operations officer John Pige... confirmed that the agency has been told to prepare for a potential re-entry into North Korea to recover U.S. POW/MIA remains if diplomatic breakthroughs occur. He stressed that the ultimate go-ahead lies with senior decision-makers and that DPAA is simply awaiting orders. Pige... explained that a deployment would not happen all at once; it would be staged according to available resources and on-the-ground conditions.
The agency already maintains a baseline plan for where and how to conduct excavations, including the Jangjinho region, and these plans are regularly refreshed. He also mentioned that recent public discussion of the issue signals a shift from years ago when such talks were absent. Should North Korea permit access, DPAA hopes to first receive any remains already in Korean custody before resuming field work.
Why it matters
It shows a possible diplomatic opening that could allow families to learn the fate of missing U.S. service members.
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