South Korea will host a ceremony this week to commemorate the 64th anniversary of the Armistice Agreement, the government said Tuesday, amid no signs of a breakthrough in efforts to ease military tension on the peninsula.
The event will be held at Olympic Park in eastern Seoul on Thursday to honor the sacrifice of South Korean soldiers and UN troops, who fought together against the invading North Korea, supported by China, during the 1950-53 Korean War, the Ministry of Patriots and Veteran Affairs said.
It's also aimed at raising public awareness of the importance of bringing lasting peace here and achieving the reunification of Korea, according to the ministry.
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Korean War veterans attend a ceremony in Seoul to mark the 63rd anniversary of the Armistice Agreement on July 27, 2016. (Yonhap) |
More than 3,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony, including Korean War veterans, their families, government officials and foreign diplomats in Seoul, it added.
Two war veterans -- Boonchai Distakul of Thailand and Peter Seiersen of Canada -- will be awarded medals in recognition of their contributions to various programs on remembering the Korean War.
A concert will be followed with the theme of "Our Future Together."
The Armistice Agreement was signed to end the Korean War. It has never been replaced by a peace treaty, meaning the two Koreas are still technically in a state of war.
This year the South is stepping up efforts to improve inter-Korean relations.
In his Berlin speech early this month, President Moon Jae-in proposed that the two Koreas stop all acts of hostility starting Armistice Agreement Day.
Last week, the South offered formal talks with the North on reducing border tension and arranging family reunions.
Pyongyang remains silent, however, amid news reports that it may soon make another provocative act.
Meanwhile, the United National Command plans to hold a separate armistice anniversary event Thursday in the Joint Security Area at the truce village of Panmunjom.
A total of 16 countries, including the United States, dispatched combat troops under the UN flag to help the South in the Korean War and five other nations sent medics. (Yonhap)
