A sign at the Korean War exhibit that opened at the Pentagon last week described the 1950-53 conflict as the “Forgotten Victory.” The phrase was coined by U.S. officials trying to enhance public awareness of the historical significance of what has been called the “Forgotten War,” which broke out 63 years ago today.

Few American soldiers were aware of where the Korean Peninsula was when they were sent to fight alongside the South against the invading troops from the North. Six decades after the war ended in an armistice, however, it is being recognized as important as any conflict the U.S. has engaged in.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel noted at the exhibit’s dedication ceremony that it had “the most significant effect and consequences” as South Korea still plays a key role as an ally maintaining peace, stability and security in the region. In addition to the consolidation of the Seoul-Washington alliance, South Korea’s economic prosperity and democratization gives a strong case for changing the moniker of the Forgotten War to the Forgotten Victory. South Korea’s success is all the more valuable, when contrasted with the iron-fisted rule of North Korea by the Kim dynasty over the past decades, which has starved millions of people to death and threatened regional security with nuclear weapons programs.

In a repeat of its false claim, the North on Sunday blamed the U.S. for starting the Korean War and discarding the Armistice Agreement that halted the conflict in July 1953. The denunciation by the organ of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party was preceded by a rare press conference called by its U.N. ambassador in New York last Friday, in which he threatened that another military conflict was possible at any time, as long as Washington remains hostile toward Pyongyang. The envoy called on the U.S. to move toward disbanding the U.N. Command and concluding a formal peace treaty to replace the cease-fire accord.

The North’s latest arguments appear to have reflected its frustration with the cold response from the U.S. to its recent proposal for high-level bilateral talks. Pyongyang must realize that it can no longer resist international pressure to denuclearize, if it is to sit with major powers to discuss a deal to enable the impoverished regime to avoid collapse. The blood alliance with China, which fought alongside the North during the Korean War, is being replaced by ordinary ties, with Beijing seeking to forge a new type of great power relationship with Washington, which sees Pyongyang’s denuclearization as a key spot for cooperation.

While the North still remains dangerous and unpredictable under the rule of Kim Jong-un, the third-generation leader from the Kim family, probably the most significant momentum in decades is building toward a set of talks that might change the postwar framework for regional security.

This delicate situation calls on South Koreans to renew their awareness of the historical meaning and consequences of the 1950-53 war. In this view, it is undesirable and worrisome that the war is becoming forgotten among them. A survey conducted by a local pollster at the request of the government showed Sunday that 35.8 percent of adults and 52.7 percent of teenagers did not know the year the war broke out. A separate poll released earlier this month found that nearly 70 percent of high school students believed the war was started by the South’s invasion of the North. With this scant and inaccurate perception, few people might know there are about 500 South Korean prisoners of war still alive in the North.

Before it is too late, efforts should be put in to ensure all South Koreans have a correct understanding of the war as a foundation for moving toward a new phase of inter-Korean relations.