In June, U.S. and North Korean negotiators agreed to five joint recovery operations this year. The first operation took place that same month, and resulted in the repatriation of 12 sets of remains that are believed to be those of Americans lost in November 1950, when the U.S. Army's 1st Calvary Division , and the 2nd and 25th Infantry Divisions fought against the Chinese in Unsan and Kujang co(somes, approximately 60 miles north of the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.

In August, a second operation led to the repatriation of another 14 sets of remains believed to be those of Americans. In September, the third field operation finished after having found 9 more sets of remains. Both of these operations concentrated in Unsan and Kujang counties. DPMO reports that the remains found in Unsan county are of men from the 8th Calvary Regiment and associated units. Those found in Kujang county fought with the 2nd Infantry Division, consisting of the 9th Infantry Regiment, the 23rd Infantry Regiment, and the 38th Infantry Regiment, with associated units.

All of the remains that were found this summer have been repatriated and sent to the Central Identification Lab (CILHI) in Hawaii, to be processed for identification. More Korean War remains have been found and returned to U.S. soil this year than in any previous year since 1996, when joint field operations with the North Koreans began. There have been 15 such joint recovery operations, with a total of 77 sets of remains having been repatriated to date. Of these remains, five have been identified and returned to their families for burial. CILHI reports that 10 more sets of remains are nearing the final stages of forensic identification.

Two more recovery operations are scheduled for this year, one in October and one in November. U.S. and North Korean negotiators are supposed to meet in December to discuss operations for the year 2001.