ⓒYONHAP News

President Moon Jae-in hosted the 72nd Armed Forces Day celebration on Friday at the nation's Special Warfare Command near Seoul.

With special operators demonstrating their close combat tactics, the commander in chief pledged to protect citizens against any threat.

"We can only establish, protect and promote peace if we build a strong defense readiness that no one can challenge. I promise that the government and the military will strengthen vigilance and readiness and sternly deal with any threat to the lives and safety of the people."

The presidential office is said to have modified Moon's speech at the last minute in the wake of the shooting death of a South Korean fisheries official in North Korean waters.

Without specifying North Korea, Moon in his 15-minute speech focused on presenting a future vision for the nation’s military with F-35 fighters and other state of the art weapon systems on display.

Moon is facing criticism for his call for a Korean War-ending declaration in his video speech for this year's UN General Assembly, which was presented earlier this week despite military intelligence pointing to the North's killing of the South Korean citizen.

At a virtual forum hosted by the Asia Society on Friday, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha was asked about Moon's call for a peace treaty.

She said while Seoul's goodwill and patience run thin after the North's killing of a South Korean citizen, "peaceful engagement" must be maintained in the long run.