The president said that the Korean people have turned their country into a powerful nation overcoming a lot of obstacles and difficulties in the past under the leadership of Kim Jong Il.

He stressed that by accessing to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia the DPRK has contributed to developing the relations with the ASEAN member states and Singapore and promoting the stability in Southeast Asia.

Referring to the fact that the friendly relations between the two countries have grown stronger in recent years, the president expressed hope that the reunification of Korea would be achieved as early as possible.