(CNN) -- U.S. President Barack Obama paid tribute Thursday to American troops who 60 years ago fought a Communist regime that he said continues to be a provocative threat to peace in the region. Speaking on Veterans Day at the U.S. Army garrison in Yongsan, South Korea, the president drew parallels between America's ally and North Korea. "Today, the Korean peninsula provides the world's clearest contrast between a society that is open and one that is closed; between a nation that is dynamic and growing, and a government that would rather starve its people than change," the president said in remarks prepared for U.S. military personnel and members of their families.
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NEW: President Obama lays wreath at war memorial
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Obama pays tribute to Americans who have served in South Korea
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He'll attend the G-20 summit, which is aimed at stabilizing the world's financial markets
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The G-20 has acknowledged that the global economic recovery is uneven and fragile
A number of South Korean union and civic groups are gearing up for large protests against the @placeholder, while other groups are planning unrelated rallies in hopes of drawing international media attention.