Thousands gather in North Korea to celebrate 'victory' on 61st anniversary of the end of the Korean War

• Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when the communist government from the north invaded South Korea
• Ended July 27, 1953 with the armisitice that separate two countries
• Between 2.5 to 4 million people died in the war
• July 27 now a national public holiday
• North and South Korea still technically at war
• Kim Jong-un revealed to be testing missiles night before anniversary

By Associated Press Reporter

Thousands have gathered in North Korea to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the Korean War and split the country in two.

While the two Koreas technically remain at war, the North celebrates the armistice as Victory in the Fatherland Liberation War, a major national holiday.

High-scale parade that have been seen in previous years did not take place at Sunday's event, with a presentation and some entertainment instead

The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when the communist government north of the Korean Peninsula's 38th parallel invaded South Korea.

It ended on July 27, 1953, upon the signing of an armistice agreement that left the demilitarized zone separating the two countries.

Salute: The 61st anniversary of the "victory of the Korean people in the Fatherland Liberation War' is celebrated in Pyongyang, North Korea

North Korean war veteran Kim Jae Pung, 78, a retired general, is decorated with medals as he attends a parade to celebrate the anniversary of the Korean War armistice agreement, Sunday, July 27, 2014, in Pyongyang, North Korea

Overcome: North Korean war veterans express emotion as they watch a parade celebrating the anniversary of the Korean War, Sunday, July 27, 2014, in Pyongyang, North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects a rocket firing drill directed at US military bases in South Korea, a day before the 61st anniversary of the signing of an Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War

The day before the anniversary, North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile into waters off its east coast.
The missile, fired from North Korea's southwest Hwanghae province on Saturday evening, flew about 310 miles across the country before landing in the sea, South Korean officials said.
North Korea routinely test-fires missiles, artillery and rockets, but the number of weapons tests it has conducted this year is much higher than previous years.
Photos have since emerged of North Korea leader Kim Jong-un studying a firing drill directed at US military bases in South Korea.

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Jong-un did not make an appearance at the anniversary, instead paying his respects just after midnight at the mausoleum where his father and grandfather lie in state.
Veterans, now in their 70s and 80s, many wearing uniforms laden with medals and clutching bouquets of flowers, were celebrated in patriotic events around the country.
In Pyongyang's central plaza, Kim Il Sung Square, the aged veterans, some crying, told war stories. 
A mass chorus of schoolchildren sang odes to Kim Jong Un and a crowd of college students was exhorted to be "the new generation" in building North Korea under Kim's leadership.
To lighten the mood, they were also treated to a show of square dancing and taekwondo. After watching the official events, many people in Pyongyang took the advantage of a sunny day off to enjoy family outings along the capital's riverside promenades.

A conductor of a North Korean student concert band leads them in a music piece during a parade to celebrate the anniversary of the Korean War armistice agreement, Sunday, July 27, 2014, in Pyongyang, North Korea

North Korean students in a concert band play music during a parade to celebrate the Korean War armistice agreement, Sunday, July 27, 2014, in Pyongyang, North Korea

North Koreans gathered at Kim Il Sung Square Sunday as part of celebrations for the 61st anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War

This picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on July 27, 2014 shows a national meeting at the April 25 House of Culture on July 26 to celebrate the 61st anniversary of the 'victory of the Korean people in the Fatherland Liberation War' in Pyongyang

As part of the U.N. Allied Forces during the Korean War, 21 countries helped South Korea fight off invading troops from the communist North, with 16 of them sending combat troops and the five others providing medical assistance units.
Tens of thousands of U.N. troops were killed in action.
South and North Korea, which remain divided, are technically at war as the Korean War ended only with a ceasefire, not a peace treaty.
Estimates for the war dead vary between 2.5 million and 4 million, and the border between the two Koreas remains one of the most heavily fortified in the world.