They lost contact with the other members of the Jikji Expedition team in September 2009 while climbing in Annapurna, a massif in the Himalayas in north-central Nepal.

"I am sending my heartfelt consolation to their bereaved families and colleagues. I wish the two warmly rest in the arms of their families," Moon wrote on his social media.

The president said Korean people will proudly remember the late climbers' unwavering adventurism and courage.

The Jikji Expedition team was created in 2006 with a mission to promote the value of the world's oldest metal-printed book with movable metal type, Jikji.

In June 2008, the team climbed an unnamed 6,235-meter peak, which was later approved by the Pakistani government to be called Jikji Peak, the only peak named in Korean in the Himalayas.

A memorial service was held in their hometown, Cheongju, 137 kilometers south of Seoul.

"This is the final order. Now rest in the comfort of their families and complete the 10-year-long climb," said Park Yeon-su, the former chief of the expedition team. (Yonhap)