Despite the obstruction of the separatists within and without, the 10th anniversary of the June 15 Joint Declaration and the 30th anniversary of the proposal for founding the Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo were commemorated significantly in the north, south and abroad last year, powerfully demonstrating the ardent desire of the nation for the reunification.

It is thanks to the DPRK's Songun (military-first) politics based on patriotism and its persevering efforts that a war was deterred on the Korean peninsula and the pro-reunification movement of the nation made a steady progress.

It is high time that the entire nation turned out in the effort to prevent a war and ensure peace on the peninsula, providing an atmosphere of dialogue and cooperation between the two halves of the country with the common interests of the nation placed above anything else.

"Let all Koreans in the north, south and abroad join efforts and bring a new phase of independent reunification!" -- this is a slogan the Korean people should hold high in this year's effort for the reunification, peace and prosperity of the nation.