The US military plans to send 215 caskets to North Korea to begin the process of returning the remains of American soldiers missing since the 1950-53 Korean War, reports in South Korea say.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said that about 30 US military vehicles carrying the caskets were expected to cross into the North on Saturday afternoon.

United States North Korea War Remains
North Korean soldiers carry a casket containing remains of a US serviceman (Ahn Young-joon/AP)

North Korea agreed to send home US war remains during a June 12 meeting between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump.

Officials from the United States Forces Korea and South Korea’s Defence Ministry on Saturday did not immediately return calls for comment.