President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday awarded South Korea's highest military order to three U.S. veterans who fought in the Korean War.

At the beginning of a luncheon celebrating the 70th anniversary of the bilateral alliance in Washington, President Yoon awarded the Taegeuk Order of Military Merit to retired Army Col. Ralph Puckett and retired Navy Capt. Elmer Royce Williams.

He also bestowed the honor on the late Baldomero Lopez, a first lieutenant of the Marine Corps who was awarded the U.S. Medal of Honor for his actions during the Incheon Landing Operation, giving his life to protect fellow soldiers.

The president said that South Korea's remarkable prosperity derives from the sacrifice and dedication of countless young people from the U.S. who made a noble sacrifice for a country they never knew and people they never met, with a dedication to protecting freedom.

Yoon also said that today's South Korea would not exist without the sacrifice of Korean War veterans, noting that there are currently about 28-thousand U.S. soldiers serving alongside South Korea's Armed Forces to defend freedom and peace in the country.

Vowing to fulfill the country's responsibility and role to defend freedom and peace in the world, Yoon expressed anticipation for further development of a solid alliance between the two nations for freedom through trust.