Rodong Sinmun Thursday says this in a bylined article.

It goes on:

Leader Kim Jong Il provided the June 15 joint declaration the core of which is the idea of "By our nation itself", out of his patriotic will to achieve the cause of national reunification at any cost through reconciliation and unity between the north and the south of Korea.

The idea represents national independence and great unity helping all the fellow countrymen reject the foreign forces' aggression with transparent consciousness of independence and achieve national reunification by the concerted efforts of the Koreans.

Since the publication of the declaration the movement of national reunification has witnessed events and successes unprecedented in the past.

The idea of "By our nation itself" has remarkably stoked up the Koreans' consciousness of independence and, in this course, national independence has become an irresistible trend of the times.

National cooperation has become a desire of the fellow countrymen and mode of struggle for unity and reunification despite the vicious moves of foreign forces for domination and interference.

The inter-Korean relations have made fundamental progress and the national reconciliation, cooperation and exchanges have reached a higher level.

All the fellow countrymen in the north and the south and overseas turned out under the banner of the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration to make tangible contributions to the cause of reunification. They are conducting a dynamic struggle against foreign forces and sycophantic traitors in their moves for a war against reunification.

The June 15 cause, the cause of "By our nation itself", is sure to triumph as long as it advances amid firm support from all the Koreans, guided by the great idea, the article concludes.