Defense Minister Han Min-koo sought Thursday to drum up public support for his troops as South Korea marked the 67th anniversary of the military's founding.

"The military is making its utmost efforts to fulfill its duty to rush to where it's most needed and to safeguard the life and property of the people," Han said in his Armed Forces Day message.

The military deserves public support only when they stick to their duty, he said, appealing to the people to "extend greater trust and love" toward the armed forces. 

"The military's perfect combat readiness and deterrence against North Korea made it possible for the country to achieve genuine peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," Han said.

More than 1,000 South Korean military servicemembers are also carrying out peace-keeping and rehabilitation missions in 13 foreign countries, said the minister.

"The national forces should be the foundation of safeguarding the fate of South Korea," he also noted.

South Korea created its military with the founding of the nation in 1948. It designated Oct. 1 as the first Armed Forces Day, to commemorate the date when its troops reclaimed the 38th parallel, then the inter-Korean border, against invading North Korean forces in 1950 after the Korean War broke out in June of the same year. (Yonhap)