President Yoon Suk Yeol underscored that the South Korea of today exists because of the sacrifices of the United Nation forces, marking the anniversary of the armistice agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

“The South Korea of today stands on the sacrifices and dedication of the UN forces and their blood-stained military uniforms,” Yoon said in an address in a ceremony in Busan on Thursday commemorating the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice Agreement that halted hostilities on July 27, 1953.

Yoon was joined by first lady Kim Keon-hee, heads of foreign delegations, war veterans and their families at the large-scale ceremony hosted by the South Korean government at the Busan Cinema Center, attended by over 2,600 people.

Thursday coincided with UN Forces Participation Day, observed to honor members of the U.S.-led UN forces who fought alongside South Korea during the three-year conflict with North Korea.

“The United Nations Command plays a key role in preserving peace on the Korean Peninsula and defending South Korea,” Yoon said.

He stressed that the command serves as a platform that enables South Korean allies to provide immediate military support under the UN flag in case of a contingency on the Korean Peninsula. This important role of the UN Command, Yoon added, “is unique in the history of the United Nations, and above all, shows the strong will and solidary of the international community for freedom.”

Government officials, Korean War veterans, their descendants and relatives from some 22 countries who supported the South during the war under the UN flag were invited to Korea to attend a series of events this week to mark the anniversary of the ceasefire.

The armistice commemoration ceremony was hosted by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs under the theme of “Freedom by Dedication, Future by Alliance.”

At the beginning of the ceremony, Yoon greeted 62 Korean War veterans, escorted by South Korean and UN Command honor guards. Many of the elderly veterans were in wheelchairs, and Yoon escorted Ted Adye, a Canadian veteran, to his seat.

Cindy Kiro, governor-general of New Zealand, gave an opening speech, highlighting the “remarkable progress and achievements of the Korean People” over the past seven decades since the end of the war, calling it the “greatest reward” for the allied forces.

Yoon recalled that 1.95 million UN troops from 22 countries participated in the war, and that 41,000 people, including 37,000 U.S. soldiers, were killed and 110,000 were injured or captured.

“Overcoming the terrible wounds and ruins of the war, we have achieved remarkable growth and prosperity based on liberal democracy and the market economy,” Yoon said.

He highlighted that some 70 years ago, “countless young people from the free world came running to defend the freedom of South Korea, a country they didn’t even know of, under one banner.”

Yoon continued, “South Korea will never forget our gratitude to all of you, and our allied countries, for risking your lives and running to our aid when we were faced with difficulties.”

During the ceremony, Yoon presented a national medal of merit to the late Thomas Parkinson, an Australian veteran who helped install a Korean War monument in Melbourne, received by his daughter. He also awarded Donald Reid, a U.S. veteran who helped erect a Korean War monument in the United States and contributed to the development of bilateral relations.

Colin Thackery, a 93-year-old British veteran and a winner of singing contest “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2019, and Patrick Finn, an American veteran, performed the Korean folk song “Arirang.” They were joined by a Korean children’s choir for a moving performance of “Amazing Arirang,” a mashup with the popular hymn “Amazing Grace.”

Thackery notably fought in the Korean War at the age of 19, leaving behind a newlywed wife. Four of his comrades are buried at a cemetery in the port city of Busan, and he dedicated the song to them.

The Busan Cinema Center is a symbolic venue as it served formerly as an airport where Task Force Smith, a U.S. unit under the UN flag, first arrived in South Korea on a mission to protect the country against the North’s invasion in 1950.

Ahead of the ceremony, Yoon and Kim, accompanied by foreign dignitaries from countries who participated in the war, visited the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers.

U.S. President Joe Biden proclaimed July 27, 2023 as “National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day,” stressing that the South Korea-U.S. alliance is an “unbreakable bond forged by American and Korean service members who fought side-by-side from 1950 to 1953.”

Biden in a proclamation statement on Wednesday called upon all Americans to “observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities that honor and give thanks to our distinguished Korean War Veterans.”

Yoon wrote in a Twitter message Thursday that he “wholeheartedly” agreed with Biden, adding that the alliance “is indeed becoming a linchpin of freedom, peace, and prosperity for not only the Indo-Pacific region but also the entire world.”

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]