Rodong Sinmun Wednesday says this in a signed article.

It goes on:

If the inter-Korean relations are to improve it is necessary to put the common interests of the nation that are national reunification above anything else and achieve reconciliation and unity on this basis.

Differing ideologies and systems exist in the north and the south, but they can never be obstacles to national reconciliation and unity. No matter how strikingly the north and the south may differ from each other in ideologies and systems, these differences can hardly be big enough to hurt the common interests of the nation. It is possible to protect the dignity and interests of each member of the nation only when the common interests of the nation are defended as there can be no classes and strata apart from the nation.

"By our nation itself", the idea of national independence and unity, serves as mental power making it possible for the north and the south to pool efforts for promoting co-existence, co-prosperity and common interests and achieving the cause of national reunification irrespective of differing ideologies and systems.

If the differing ideologies and systems are regarded absolute, utterly indifferent to the interests of the nation, it is quite impossible to improve the inter-Korean relations nor is it possible to achieve concord and unity of the nation.

It is the consistent stand of the DPRK to treat and join hands with anyone who is willing to contribute to the cause of national reunification, setting store by the national interests with national conscience, on the principle of not digging into his or her past.

All Koreans in the north and the south and overseas will wage a more dynamic patriotic struggle to achieve national reunification holding aloft the banner of the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration and will never allow any act to hamstring the efforts to improve the inter-Korean relations and achieve national reunification.