WASHINGTON, July 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Friday that he would travel to Hawaii on Aug. 1 to receive the remains of U.S. soldiers who died in the Korean War.

In an announcement, Pence said President Donald Trump had asked him to travel to Hawaii "to participate in the Honorable Carry Ceremony and receive the remains as they return to American soil."

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) "committed to return the remains," he said. "This agreement was deeply meaningful to so many families across America."

He added that it is deeply humbling to be part of this "historic" moment.

Earlier on Thursday, the White House said a military aircraft carrying the remains of U.S. soldiers had left the DPRK and was transferring the remains to the U.S. Osan Air Base in South Korea, where a formal repatriation ceremony is scheduled on Aug. 1.

Also on Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said that the move is a "coordination effort" over the last month.

For his part, Trump thanked the top leader of the DPRK, Kim Jong Un, for returning the remains.