North Korea Returns Possible Remains of U.S. War Dead
BALDWIN: A solemn moment at Osan Air Base in South Korea this morning. Soldiers carrying boxes believed to be the remains of U.S. soldiers killed. Some 65 years ago during the Korean War. The return of the remains was one commitment the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made when he met last month in Singapore. The president spoke about the return from the White House.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Fallen heroes from America. Back from the Korean War. They're coming back to the United States. These incredible heroes will soon be laid to rest on sacred American soil.</s>BALDWIN: Gordon Chang is with me. The author of "Nuclear Showdown," how North Korea takes on the world. And a columnist with "The Daily Beast." So, Gordon, when I first read about this, was it wrong of me initially when I read about it, and the line is, believed to be the remains. This is North Korea we're talking about. What if it's something else?</s>GORDON CHANG, AUTHOR, "NUCLEAR SHOWDOWN, NORTH KOREA TAKES ON THE WORLD": Well, it certainly could be. The North Koreans could be known to supply the remains of dogs to countries where they said they were actually returning soldiers' remains. At this particular point, until the DNA analysis is done in Hawaii, we won't know who they are. These could be British soldiers. The British fought alongside us in the Korean War. Presumably the North Koreans would return remains that they thought were westerners. Until that analysis is done, we certainly don't know.</s>BALDWIN: You know it is the UN flag draped over the remains and not an American flag. The DNA analysis, they say it will take months of detailed analysis to determine how many Americans can even be identified. You were saying there are 7697 unaccounted for Americans in North Korea. Considered MIA and they're thinking they're handing over 55 of them?</s>CHANG: Right. The North Koreans on various occasions have said they have 200 sets of remains. The Pentagon estimates there are 5,300 sets of remains and that 7697 are missing. We also know that of that 7697, they say they're MIA many should be characterized as POWs. we have incontrovertible evidence that Americans were captured. We have no indication of death. And although they're quite old, nonetheless, they should not be MIAs and we should be talking with North Korea torsion China, and Russia about these people. We know that they were taken to those various locations.</s>BALDWIN: We know when Secretary Mattis was saying, maybe we'll send - American troops to North Korea to find these remains. Do you see that happening?</s>CHANG: I think we stopped in 2005 because it became too dangerous. This is a step forward and President Trump gets credit for this. He raised this on his own. It is very important to families, but it is more important that we get an accounting of Americans who were probably POWs, or we know were. They might still be alive, Brooke.</s>BALDWIN: To think the families who have been waiting 65 years for this would question. If this is Kim, if these American remains and he is making good on his promise, what does that signal to you?</s>CHANG: It is a small step forward. This is something easy for Kim to do. We have a long way to go. Not only the issue of remains but of course disarming the missiles, the nukes, the infrastructure, getting the inspections, all of the rest of it. There is a lot to go with North Korea. But at least we are making some small steps and is better the possibility of not making steps at all.</s>BALDWIN: Gordon Chang, thank you so much. Coming up next, follow the money. Federal prosecutors subpoenaing the man who signed all the checks for the Trump Organization. My next guest explains why this is not good for the president. And one of the president's former advisers who has already spoken to Robert Mueller and said there is no way the president didn't know about the Trump Tower meeting. Join CNN live in a matter of minutes.