South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol paid tribute to U.N. forces who defended the ROK against North Korean invasion and whose “blood-stained uniforms” laid the foundation for the country’s freedom and prosperity, marking the 70th anniversary of the armistice agreement that halted hostilities in the Korean War.

“The veterans of the U.N. forces, who gave everything to defend the freedom of a country they did not even know in the best years of their lives, are our true heroes,” he said at a ceremony in Busan on Thursday night, according to the presidential office.