It is none other than General Secretary Kim Jong Il who opened up the June 15 independent reunification era in the efforts for achieving the unity and reunification with the concerted efforts of the Korean nation against the foreign forces.

The relations between the north and the south were faced with the pitch of confrontation and a grave obstacle was laid on the way of national reunification owing to the moves to stifle the DPRK the imperialists and traitors to the nation had intensified than ever before with the demise of President Kim Il Sung as an occasion in the 1990s.

It was at that time that true to the lofty intention of the President, Kim Jong Il declared his strong will to hand over the reunified country to the rising generation without fail and led the Korean people's national reunification movement wisely.

He published his famous work "Let Us Carry Out the Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung's Instructions for National Reunification" on August 4, Juche 86 (1997). In the work, he re-clarified the will of the Workers' Party of Korea to carry forward the cause of national reunification pioneered and led by the President and realize the country's reunification and advanced all the principles and tasks for the solution of the reunification issue.

On April 18, 1998 he also published the historic work "Let Us Reunify the Country Independently and Peacefully through the Great Unity of the Entire Nation", to arouse all the Koreans in the north, south and overseas to the campaign for achieving the country's reunification with the internal force of the nation.

Thanks to his unusual leadership, prominent political ability, great courageous determination and magnanimity of loving the country and the nation, the Pyongyang summit was arranged on June 15, 2000, the first of its kind in the history of national division, and the north-south joint declaration was issued to set up the idea of "By our nation itself" as a milestone for the independent reunification.

As a result, a breakthrough was made in the barrier of having divided the territory into two for more than half a century, railway lines and roads were re-linked and air and sea routes were opened. This brought the atmosphere of national reconciliation and cooperation to upsurge and pro-reunification festivals of the nation were held alternately in Pyongyang and Seoul one after another, opening up the June 15 reunification era.

The meeting of the leaders of the north and the south and the summit meeting were made in October 2007 to make public the October 4 declaration, which marked a new turning point in the implementation of the June 15 joint declaration.

Under the leadership of Kim Jong Il who has raised the cause of national reunification, the supreme desire of the nation, up to the highest stage, the Korean people are certain to build a reunified and prosperous country on this land.