Kim Jong Il and Roh Moo-hyun sign the Declaration for Development
of North-South Relations and Peace and Prosperity
Banner of Independent Reunification, Peace and Prosperity
The greatest desire of the Korean people is to accomplish the reunification of their divided country.
A historic declaration which reflected this desire was adopted in October six years ago, bringing about a bright prospect for the reunification.
Thanks to the energetic activities of Chairman Kim Jong Il an inter-Korean summit meeting was held in June 2000 for the first time since the division of the country and adopted a historic North-South Joint Declaration, whose main idea is to reunify the country by the Korean nation itself. In October 2007 another inter-Korean summit meeting was arranged, which made public a declaration for development of north-south relations and peace and prosperity, an action program for implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration.
In the October 4 Declaration the north and the south agreed to uphold and positively implement the June 15 Joint Declaration, to definitely convert north-south relations into those of mutual respect and confidence, transcending the differences in ideology and system and to closely cooperate with each other in the efforts to put an end to hostile military relations and ensure détente and peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Both sides, based on the common understanding of the need to put an end to the existing armistice mechanism and build a lasting peace mechanism, agreed to cooperate with each other in the efforts to push forward with the issue of arranging a meeting on the territory of the Korean Peninsula of the heads of state of three or four parties directly concerned to promote a matter of declaring an end to war, and to reenergize economic cooperation and bring about its sustained development on the principles of ensuring common interests and prosperity and meeting each other’s needs with a view to balanced development of the national economy and common prosperity.
They also agreed to develop exchanges and cooperation in social and cultural fields such as history, language, education, science and technology, culture and the arts, and sports to add brilliance to the time-honored history and fine culture of the nation, to push forward with humanitarian cooperation and to strengthen cooperation on the international arena in the efforts to protect the interests of the nation and the rights and interests of overseas Koreans.
As it clarified clearly the principles and ways for bringing about reconciliation, unity and exchange by implementing the ideal of By Our Nation Itself and for opening up a new era for independent reunification, peace and prosperity by the concerted efforts, the whole nation supported and welcomed the October 4 Declaration.
The declaration is further displaying its validity and vitality as the eternal banner of the national reunification as it reflects the unanimous desire and aspiration of the entire nation to achieve independent reunification by promoting national reconciliation and cooperation and advancing the reunification movement.
The Korean people will surely bring about a new era of independent reunification, peace and prosperity, smashing the maneuvers of the anti-reunification forces at home and abroad under the unfurled banner of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration and the October 4 Declaration.
