2 Koreas Mark War Anniversary After Pause in Rising Tensions

Actors wearing military uniforms with flags of countries which participated in the Korean War perform during a ceremony to mark the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in Cheorwon, near the border with North Korea, South Korea, on June 25, 2020. Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo

SEOUL, South Korea—North and South Korea on June 25 marked the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War with largely subdued commemorations amid the CCP virus pandemic, a day after the North abruptly halted a pressure campaign against the South.

South Korea issued a joint statement with the United States, which fought alongside it during the 1950-53 war triggered by a surprise North Korean invasion. The United States still stations about 28,500 soldiers in South Korea in what North Korea views as a military threat.