UPDATE 2 - US president thanks North Korea for sending war remains

ADDS WHITE HOUSE CLARIFICATION OF SECOND MEETING IN GRAF 4, 5

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday thanked North Korea's Kim Jong Un for sending the remains of American soldiers who had died in the Korea War.

"Thank you to Chairman Kim Jong Un for keeping your word & starting the process of sending home the remains of our great and beloved missing fallen," Trump tweeted.

"I am not at all surprised that you took this kind action. Also, thank you for your nice letter - l look forward to seeing you soon," he added.

The White House later confirmed Trump received the letter from Kim on Wednesday, saying "the ongoing correspondence" is a follow-up to the leaders' historic June summit in Singapore.

Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders denied that a second meeting has been "locked in," but said Washington remains open to the prospect.

A letter from Trump to Kim is on its way to the North Korean leader, Sanders added.

An American military plane was able to enter North Korea on Friday to pick up the remains of the soldiers.

The Korean War remains were formally repatriated to U.S. soil Wednesday. They were received by Vice President Mike Pence during a solemn ceremony in Hawaii.

"Some have called the Korean War the 'forgotten war.' But today, we prove these heroes were never forgotten," Pence said. "Today, our boys are coming home."

Kim agreed with Trump in June to the "immediate repatriation" of remains that had already been identified.

Official U.S. statistics show more than 7,500 American personnel remains unaccounted for following the war.

*Michael Hernandez contributed to this story from Washington