Faisal Mahmud
25 June 2026•Update: 25 June 2026
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday pledged to build a peaceful Korean Peninsula with "neither fear of war nor a need for conflict" as the country marked the 76th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War.
Speaking at a ceremony attended by war veterans, government officials and military leaders, Lee said his administration would protect the nation through strong defense capabilities while pursuing lasting peace, according to the Yonhap news agency.
"(The government) will safeguard the people and the territory through strong defense capabilities and build a peaceful Korean Peninsula which has neither fear of war nor a need for conflict," Lee said.
Lee said ensuring peace would be the greatest tribute to those who sacrificed their lives and youth defending the country.
He also paid tribute to South Korean and international veterans who fought in the war, saying the government would continue to honor their service and protect the country they helped build.
Lee pledged to expand invitation programs for overseas Korean War veterans and awarded national merits to three veterans whose contributions had previously gone unrecognized.
The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, and ended with an armistice in 1953, leaving the peninsula technically still at war. Sixteen countries dispatched combat troops under the UN Command to support South Korea during the conflict.
Separately, Prime Minister nominee Han Seong-sook described North Korea as both "a threat and a compatriot" during her parliamentary confirmation hearing, saying peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula remained a shared objective.
Han said effectively managing inter-Korean relations was essential and that there should never be another war on the peninsula.
