The June 15 Joint Declaration and the October 4 Declaration are one for national independence to solve the problem of the country's reunification in an independent way and one for national unity to promote confidence and achieve reconciliation between the north and the south.

Since the publication of the historic June 15 Joint Declaration in Juche 89 (2000), the tripartite solidarity and unity of the north, south and overseas for the reunification of the country have been strengthened under the idea of "By our nation itself" and such epochal events as re-linking severed railway lines and roads and opening sea and air routes taken place.

The October 4 Declaration adopted in 2007 stirred up the Korean nation's aspiration and will to develop the north-south relations and to achieve peace and reunification of the country.

The national reunification movement which had been advancing dynamically along with the adoption of the north-south joint declarations faced a grave challenge due to the advent of the conservative authorities in south Korea last year.

The south Korean ruling forces are flatly denying the June 15 Joint Declaration and the October 4 Declaration, grand programmes for independent reunification, harshly suppressing the progressive reunification forces who are ardently desirous of thorough implementation of the north-south joint declarations and are desperately kicking up a racket of confrontation with the north in league with foreign forces.

They have totally ruptured the north-south dialogues and contacts and held in check the collaboration which had been promoted according to the north-south joint declarations.

Now all the Korean people in the north, south and overseas vehemently denounce the south Korean ruling forces' anachronistic "policy towards the north" and demand that it be given up forthwith and the banner of the north-south joint declarations be held higher.

Reflecting the ardent desire of the Korean nation and the pressing demand of the obtaining situation, the slogan of the joint New Year editorial is vigorously rousing all the fellow-countrymen to the nation-wide reunification movement.