Statement of the vice-chairman

of the Central Committee of the AINDF

Today the Korean nation significantly mark the 7^th anniversary of the publication of the South-North Joint Declaration at the time when the Korean nation intensify the struggle to hasten Korea’s reunification by attaching the importance to the nation, maintaining peace and achieving national unity under the banner of “By our nation itself.”

Seeing through the changing situation at home and abroad and lawful demand of the reunification movement, leader Kim Jong Il, the sun of the nation and lodestar of reunification, arranged the Pyongyang summit for the first time after the national division and adopted the historic June 15 South-North Joint Declaration in June 2000. It was a great jubilee that gave confidence and joy to the Korean nation desirous of reunification and was a remarkable event that opened a fresh turning-point in reunification movement.

With adoption of the June 15 joint declaration with the ideal of “By our nation itself” as its core the Korean nation could have a milestone for reunification in the 21^st century to be maintained in the reunification movement and the June 15 reunification era was opened in this land where the inter-Korean confrontation and distrust continued for half a century.

During the seven years the reunification movement developed under the banner of “By our nation itself” and the inter-Korean reconciliation and unity were promoted. 

Through the struggle for implementing the joint declaration, “By our nation itself” took firm root in the minds of the Korean nation as an idea and the main force of reunification has been rapidly strengthened.

The atmosphere of national cooperation and anti-US sentiment mounted and the south Korean people’s struggle for reunification are intensified. The south Korean people’s struggle against the US, the main obstacle to reunification, are intensified across south Korea.    

The Korean nation’s consciousness and will to reunify the country and create a new era of national prosperity with concerted efforts of the nation serves a great driving force advancing the June 15 era.

The ongoing inter-Korean contacts, exchange and cooperation in various fields encourage the Korean nation with hope of reunification and confidence.

It is entirely thanks to the idea of national independence, sagacious leadership broad-mindedness and magnanimity of leader Kim Jong Il that justness, truthfulness and inexhaustible vitality of the June 15 joint declaration were demonstrated throughout the world for seven years.

Kim Jong Il created favorable atmosphere for implementing the joint declaration to frustrate continuous war maneuvers of the anti-reunification forces within and without with his Songun politics and wisely led the Korean nation to realize the cause of reunification, illumining the way ahead of the June 15 reunification era.  

He, who has noble patriotic ideal and warm compatriotism, met south Koreans who visited Pyongyang on several occasions and gave important instructions to improve the inter-Korean relations and hasten Korea’s reunification. And he encouraged the Korean people who turn out to implement the joint declaration.      

With the invincible Songun politics, in particular, he turned north Korea to the powerful country of Songun any formidable enemy dares not to provoke. It is immortal exploits that he brought about the dawn of reunification along with building of a thriving nation as it is a happy event that the Korean people realized their long-cherished desire.  

The last seven years proved that the cause of Korea’s reunification is sure to come as long as Kim Jong Il leads the June 15 reunification era to victory, no matter how the anti-reunification forces at home and abroad move.  

Now the vanguard fighters and the south Korean patriotic people are determined to accelerate the advance of independent reunification with great national pride of having leader Kim Jong Il who opened the era of “by our nation itself” and glorifies it.

The people from all walks of life should positively support the Songun politics, fully aware of the fact that supporting leader Kim Jong Il’s Songun politics is to demonstrate the national sovereignty and dignity and advance Korea’s reunification.  

The inter-Korean joint declaration is a milestone and banner of Korea’s reunification.

The people should maintain the struggle to implement the joint declaration and resolutely foil the vicious moves of the anti-reunification forces at home and abroad to hamper its implementation.

The south Korean people from all social standings should demonstrate the will and might of the Korean nation to reunify the country and open a heyday of national reunification by accelerating the struggle to implement the three major tasks of attaching the importance to the nation, maintaining peace and achieving great national unity, holding high the banner of “By our nation itself.”

The great alliance against conservatism involving the south Korean people from all walks of life should be formed to frustrate the ambitious plot of the pro-US conservatives including the Grand National Party to hamstring the June 15 era and take power in the upcoming presidential elections. 

The desperate moves of the anti-reunification forces running counter to the June 15 era continues, however, no force can check the advance of independent reunification of the Korean nation under the banner of Songun.  

The AINDF, together with the people from all social standings who value the country and nation, will stand at the head of the struggle for accomplishing the historic cause of reunification by intensifying the struggle to preserve the June 15 reunification era

Seoul

June 15, Juche 96 (2007)