Seoul, March 27 (IANS) South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday paid his respects to honor 55 South Korean service members killed during military clashes with North Korea while defending the Yellow Sea maritime border, vowing to build peace on the Korean Peninsula with strong defence capabilities.

Lee made the remarks in a speech marking the 11th West Sea Defence Day at the national cemetery in Daejeon, about 140 kilometres south of Seoul, which honored the 55 sailors and Marines killed in clashes with North Korea near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) -- the de facto maritime border between the two Koreas.

"I believe that firmly protecting our people and the territory of the Republic of Korea with strong national defense and creating a peaceful Korean Peninsula free from fear of war is the historic mission left to us by the heroes who defended the Yellow Sea," Lee said.

"Peace, a state in which there is no need to fight, is the most certain form of security, though it is difficult to achieve," he added.

Lee also vowed to provide "special compensation" to the veterans for their "special sacrifices" in defending South Korea against North Korean provocations in the western sea.

It marked Lee's first time attending the ceremony as president, after he attended last year's event as a presidential candidate.

Since 2016, the government has designated the fourth Friday of March as the commemoration day, known as West Sea Defence Day, Yonhap news agency reported.

Earlier on March 26, the Navy had launched maneuvering drills this week to honour service members killed during naval clashes with North Korea in the Yellow Sea and sharpen its combat readiness posture.

As part of the four-day exercise set to conclude Friday, naval troops had been conducting intensive drills aimed at strengthening their anti-submarine warfare, tactical maneuvering and firing capabilities, according to the Navy.

Some 20 surface ships, including the 8,200-tonne Jeongjo the Great destroyer, submarines, the P-3 and P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft, and the AW-159 naval helicopter, had been mobilised for the exercise conducted in the eastern and western coasts, it added.

--IANS

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