We will bring earlier the day of national reunification without fail by driving out the US occupation army from south Korea under the banner of the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration

Zo Il-min, representative of the NDFSK Mission in Pyongyang held a press interview on the occasion of the 4^th anniversary of the publication of the historic June 15 South-North joint Declaration.

Here follows the gist.

Four years have passed since the publication of June 15 South-North Joint Declaration.

During the past four years the south Korean people have ardently worshipped and revered leader Kim Jong Il, who provided the Korean people with the June 15 Joint Declaration. And they also have waged proud struggle with firm will and passion to realize independent reunification of the country by the concerted efforts of our nation under the banner of the joint declaration.

Above all, the south Korean people’s reverence for leader Kim Jong Il has become more fervent during the past four years.

The reverence becomes the main trend of the public feelings of south Korea and it has been introduced by the south Korean mass media.

While learning the immortal Juche idea that has been enriched by leader Kim Jong Il and his outstanding Songun leadership and noble virtue, the south Korean people have grown up to be an independent people and dynamically struggled to discharge their rights and obligation as proud masters of society and development of history.

The south Korean people have waged the struggle for independence, democracy and reunification more actively during the past four years.

More than 3.3million people participated in about 2,400 cases of struggle in 2001, 5,300 organizations and 9.2 million people in 8,400 cases of struggle in 2002 and 6,800 organizations and about 9 million people in 5,000 cases of struggle in 2003 to frustrate moves of the anti-reunification and division-seeking forces in south Korea.

The south Korean people powerfully demonstrated that they are independent being and subject of the reform movement that are overpowering the pro-US forces and reactionaries of history.

What is most characteristic in their reform movement is that their anti-American consciousness has increased unprecedentedly and their struggle has strongly inclined to the struggle against the US and war and for withdrawal of the US troops from south Korea.

More than 300 cases of candlelight demonstration was held in 2003 alone with participation of over 5 million people of all walks of life including workers, peasants, students, officeholders, professors, artistes, religious men and reserve servicemen.

Political stream of south Korea has been changed into progressive one.

The south Korean people dealt a serious blow to the pro-US forces through the presidential elections in December 2002.

Ten members of the Democratic Labor Party which was founded only four years ago, were elected for the National Assembly through the general elections held in April this year. 63% of lawmakers are new political figures and, in particular, the lawmakers under 40 years of age hold 43.1% of the seats. This shows that the old-time political forces that have pursued the pro-US policy are driven out of the politics and the new generation seeking for national independence and reunification begin to appear in surface of the south Korean political field.

The South-North June 15 Joint Declaration made a great breakthrough to the conservative system that regards the same brethren in north Korea as enemy.

The south Korean people regard the north as the same brethren not enemy through grand march of “by our nation itself”, the banner of the June 15 joint declaration.

Now the 70 million Korean people are vigorously advancing as driving force in the van of the anti-US and anti-imperialist front of the world.

For having the great teacher the south Korean people could have been developed into a powerful being overpowering the US and its followers.

It is the greatest fortune and national pride of the 70 million Korean people to have leader Kim Jong Il, the peerless patriot, great thinker and theoretician and great statesman, as lodestar of the national reunification and center of the great national unity.

Embarrassed by the brisk movement of the Korean people for independence, democracy and national reunification, the US more openly enforces hostile policy toward north Korea.

The US hamstrings in every way the national cooperation and exchange that have been promoted between south and north Korea under the banner of the June15 joint declaration.

The US has aggravated military tension on the Korean Peninsula and checked struggle of the Korean nation to implement the June 15 joint declaration, clamoring about the alleged nuclear issue of north Korea and making desperate efforts for its permanent military presence and increase of its combat capability in south Korea.

The main obstacle to the implementation of the June 15 joint declaration is the US hostile policy toward north Korea and presence of the US troops in south Korea.

The US hostile policy toward north Korea is the source of blocking the inter-Korean exchange, cooperation, reconciliation and unity and of tension and war crisis on the Korean Peninsula.

The US military occupation and domination that have been lasted for over 60 years are an insult to the pride and sovereignty of the nation and the greatest disgrace of national history.

The south Korean people of all walks of life should turn out as one in the struggle to oppose the US hostile policy toward north Korea and terminate its domination and occupation of south Korea.

The shortcut to the implementation of the June 15 Joint declaration is to dynamically wage the movement for the pullout of the US troops from south Korea through nationwide anti-US cooperation, positively supporting the Songun politics of leader Kim Jong Il, an almighty sword of independence, peace and reunification.

The NDFSK will take the lead in the nationwide struggle to make the year 2005 which marks the 60^th anniversary of national liberation and the 60 years of national division as a year of withdrawing the US troops from south Korea and bring earlier the day of reunification without fail by terminating the US domination and occupation of south Korea.