Anchor: The South Korean government held a ceremony on Monday to commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950. At the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul, Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik said that North Korea continues to threaten peace on the Korean Peninsula. Our Kim In-kyung has the story.

Report: During the ceremony broadcast live nationwide, Prime Minister Kim said North Korea continues to pose threats to peace on the Korean Peninsula, citing the sinking of the Cheonan warship, the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island and the launching of a long-range rocket in April. He said Koreans must not forget even for a moment that the Korean War hasn't ended yet, and that the nation still remains divided.

Kim said Koreans must unite to raise their awareness of national security, and strengthen defense so that the tragedy of the Korean War doesn't recur. He added that North Korea must abandon any futile ideas and immediately join South Korea in pursuing peace and coprosperity on the Korean Peninsula.

He said the war was the greatest tragedy of the Korean people that destroyed the whole nation. About four million people were killed or wounded with more than ten million people separated from their families.

The prime minister also expressed pride in the remarkable growth the nation has made since the Korean War ended. He said the nation rose from ashes to become the 15th largest economy in the world boasting of one-trillion dollars in two-way trade in a mere six decades. He said South Korea is also the only country in the world since the Second World War to have accomplished both democracy and economic development at the same time.

Kim said South Korea will always take responsibility and care for those who have sacrificed themselves while serving their country, adding that to do so is its natural duty. He said the government will also continue its efforts to confirm whether South Koreans forcibly abducted to the North are still alive and to bring them back to the South.

Kim In-kyung, KBS World Radio News.