Marking the 73rd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Sunday vowed to defend the nation with "strong self-defense" capabilities.

The Korean War broke out on June 25, 1950, when tank-led North Korean troops invaded South Korea. The United States and 20 other allied countries fought on the side of South Korea under the U.N. flag. The conflict ended in a cease-fire three years later.

"The government will protect our security with strong self-defense, not with fake peace based on North Korea's false good intention," Han told a national ceremony marking the start of the war.

Tensions have continued to ripple through the Korean Peninsula over North Korea's weapons testing, including last month's botched launch of a military spy satellite. Han said, "North Korea is still unable to wake up from the empty delusion of the Korean War."

Earlier this month, South Korea was elected as a nonpermanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 2024-2025, expanding its foothold in the U.N. body to better address the North Korean issue and other global security challenges.

In the wake of the election as a nonpermanent member of the UNSC, Han said South Korea will step up cooperation with the United States and Japan to counter North Korea's nuclear threat.

"South Korea's entry into a nonpermanent state of the U.N. Security Council is an opportunity to further expand solidarity and cooperation among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan over North Korea's nuclear threat," Han said.

Source: Yonhap News Agency