U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has lauded President Donald Trump for securing the return of American troops' remains from North Korea.
Pence, who is to attend a ceremony in Hawaii Wednesday to honor the 55 soldiers whose remains were transported out of North Korea last week, said he was moved by the president's action.
Recovering and returning the remains of an estimated 5,300 American troops in North Korea following the 1950-53 Korean War was one of the agreements reached by Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at their historic summit in Singapore last month.
Asked in a recent interview with Fox Business News why Kim agreed to the repatriation, Pence said, "Because President Trump asked him."
"And that's, it's so moving to me to serve alongside a president, who, while he is negotiating an issue as significant as denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, or he's taken such a strong stand for America's security, that at the same time he had our fallen heroes on his heart and he secured a commitment," he said in a portion of the interview aired Monday.
"And in Hawaii next week, we'll see North Korea begin to follow through on the promise that they made to President Trump," he added.
While giving a tour of his West Wing office, the vice president reminisced on his father's service during the Korean War and showed the Bronze Star the former Army veteran received for his service.
"He's gone 30 years but he's still in our hearts everyday and I know he was incredibly proud of his service in the Korean War," Pence said of his father.
Recalling his trip to South Korea early this year, Pence said he was "so deeply moved" to see posters that read, "Tell your father, Edward Pence, thank you for his service."
"I know this is going to be deeply meaningful to our Korean War veterans. It's going to be meaningful to every veteran, and frankly, every family, who I think sees President Trump's heart in this moment." (yonhap)