Pyongyang, October 4 (KCNA) -- October 4 marks the anniversary of the Declaration for Development of North-South Relations and Peace and Prosperity adopted at a summit between the north and the south of Korea in Pyongyang in Juche 96 (2007). Its adoption was a landmark event in the history of the Korean nation's reunification movement.

Ri Kwang, councilor of the National Reunification Institute, told KCNA:

The declaration serves as guidelines for an independent reunification of the country and peace and prosperity of the nation.

In the declaration the north and the south pledged to implement the June 15 joint declaration and reaffirmed its main spirit -- "By our nation itself".

The declaration called for solving the reunification issue in an independent way, valuing the dignity and interests of the nation and putting them above anything else.

It, the program for the implementation of the June 15 declaration, has enjoyed full support from all Korean people.

Paek Man Gil, a researcher of the institute, said:

The north-south relations are at their worst and an acute situation has persisted in the Korean peninsula due to the anti-north confrontation policy of the south Korean conservatives, indifferent to the reconciliation, unity and reunification of the nation.

It is the only choice for the improvement of north-south relations and the reunification of the country to respect and implement the June 15 declaration and the October 4 declaration.

It is a consistent stand of the north to implement the two declarations and develop the relations with the south.

The south Korean authorities, too, should respect and implement them.