The nation has marked the 73rd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War with a national ceremony in Seoul.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said in the ceremony on Sunday that the patriotism of deceased national heroes should never be defamed, and the nation will take care of the war veterans until the end.

Han said that the nation must remember that the freedom, peace and prosperity the people enjoy are the price of the blood, sweat and tears shed by young heroes on the battlefield.

The prime minister said that South Korea was in ruins due to the Korean War, which began with North Korea's armed invasion, but now the South has become one of the world's top ten economic powerhouses, which is based on the courage and sacrifices of soldiers who fought in the war to protect the country.

Han said that North Korea is still unable to wake up from the empty delusion of the Korean War, criticizing the North’s continued missile launches and nuclear threats, which are undermining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the international community.

The prime minister then stressed that the government will protect the country's security with strong self-defense, not with fake peace that is based on North Korea's false good intentions.