U.S. President Joe Biden on July 26, the day before the 69th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War armistice, released "A Proclamation on National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2022" on the official White House website. He is shown here on the same day in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 in a virtual meeting with visiting SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won (sitting to the right of the screen) and other SK managers at the White House in Washington. (Yonhap News)

By Kim Hayeon 

"In Seoul, I affirmed with President Yoon (Suk Yeol) that the U.S.-ROK (Republic of Korea) Alliance is stronger than ever."

U.S. President Joe Biden on July 26 said this in "A Proclamation on National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2022," which was posted on the official White House website the day before the 69th anniversary of the signing of the war's 1953 armistice, stressing the strength of bilateral ties. 

Staying in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19, President Biden said in the proclamation, "Today, the Republic of Korea is our strong ally, a global center of innovation, and a vibrant democracy," adding, "(The alliance is) evolving to maintain its role as a linchpin of peace and stability in the region and increasingly expanding to the global stage."  

On America's participation in the war, he said, "In June of 1950, the United States answered the call to defend freedom abroad by joining the Republic of Korea in its fight against the communist regime in North Korea and eventually the People's Republic of China." 

"For nearly 70 years, the ensuing peace and the abiding relationship between the Korean and American people has been the foundation for the thriving democracy and incredible economic progress of the Republic of Korea."

"During my recent visit to the Republic of Korea, I paid tribute to those Korean troops who fought and sacrificed shoulder‑to-shoulder with Americans," he added. "Today, our Nation honors those selfless American service members whose courage and sacrifice helped forge the armistice, the enduring Alliance between our two nations, and a lasting legacy of freedom in the Republic of Korea."

Designating July 27 National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, President Biden encouraged all Americans "to reflect on the strength, sacrifices and sense of duty of Korean War veterans."

"More than 36,000 of those American service members were killed in action, along with more than 7,000 Korean Augmentation to the United States Army soldiers that fought with the United States Armed Forces — sacrificing everything to defend freedom and democracy on the Peninsula," he added.

hayeounk8@korea.kr