ⓒYONHAP News

President Moon Jae-in has emphasized the need to declare a formal end to the Korean War as the first step toward denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and establishing peace in the region.

Moon made the remark in a video message screened at the opening ceremony of the 2021 Seoul UN Peacekeeping Ministerial on Tuesday.

He called for support from the international community to build a new order of reconciliation and cooperation through the war-ending declaration and to establish peace in Northeast Asia and the world as a whole.

Moon said South Korea desperately wishes for peace, adding that its people and its government have worked to make the peninsula nuclear-free and to establish permanent peace with the support of the international community.

Moon’s determination for the declaration comes amid concerns that an announcement by the U.S. of a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing could hamper his efforts so far.

Also in the congratulatory message, Moon unveiled Seoul’s plan for a bid for its third non-permanent membership on the United Nations Security Council for the 2024-25 period.

The 2021 Seoul UN Peacekeeping Ministerial concluded on Wednesday with some 60 countries making new pledges for UN peacekeeping operations.

Seoul's foreign ministry said representatives of 75 countries, the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization participated in the two-day virtual meeting.

It added that about 60 nations announced new pledges to help enhance the performance and impact of peacekeeping operations.

South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook announced in the meeting that  the country will play a leading role in turning UN camps into "smart" camps equipped with advanced technology. The nation also pledged to support the creation of a UN helicopter unit in partnership with Kenya and other countries.

The ministry said most of the participants expressed support for South Korea's "Seoul Initiative on Technology and Medical Capacity Building in Peacekeeping."