The United States says it has agreed to negotiate with North Korea on resuming efforts to recover the remains of U.S. soldiers unaccounted for from the Korean war.

In a brief announcement, the Pentagon said the negotiations would begin Tuesday in Bangkok. The Pentagon did not say why it is now resuming the discussions, but said the talks are not linked to any other issue.

The United States suspended the recovery operation in 2005 because of concerns about safety surrounding North Korea's nuclear program.

The Pentagon says Tuesday's U.S. delegation will be led by Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert Newberry.

An estimated 5,500 U.S. service members are believed to have been buried in North Korea following the Korean War.