South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was present to receive the remains of the 12 soldiers

It is the first time bodies recovered in the North have been sent home since the 1953 armistice, officials say.

They were greeted at a military airport by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and an honour guard of top officials.

The remains arrived from the US. They were among about 200 bodies found by an American excavation team which worked in the North between 2000 and 2004.

The US has since halted the operation over concerns regarding their team's safety.

The two Koreas remain technically at war after the Korean War ended in a truce.

As the bodies arrived at an airport near Seoul, President Lee said: "There are no greater patriots than them."

The soldiers were killed during a key battle for a reservoir early in the Korean War, when they were outnumbered one by Chinese troops.

Only two of the 12 have been fully identified so far, reports say.

An estimated 30,000 to 40,000 South Korean soldiers are still buried in in the North.

BBC news