Their struggle is based on the three principles of national reunification provided by President Kim Il Sung.

At the proposition of the President and under his energetic leadership high-level political talks between the north and south were held in Pyongyang early in May Juche 61 (1972) for the first time since Korea was divided.

At a meeting with the representative of the south side the President said that if the division of the country was prolonged, the Korean nation would remain divided into two for ever, which could never be tolerated. He also said that the country should be reunified as early as possible so that the reunified country could be handed down to the posterity.

Noting that it was necessary for national reunification to have basic principles agreed upon between the north and the south, he explained the principles of independence, peaceful reunification and great national unity he had long matured.

Expressing his assent to the fair and patriotic principles, the representative of the south side told the President that he thought the south Korean chief executive would also favor them.

A joint statement with the three principles of national reunification as the keynote was announced officially in both Pyongyang and Seoul on July 4 that year.

It was a signal, historic event that demonstrated the desire and will of the Korean nation to achieve the country's reunification in an independent way without interference of other countries and in a peaceful way with great unity of the entire nation.

The statement gave the Korean people principles common to the nation in solving the reunification issue by themselves according to their will and in their interests.