Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- The South Headquarters of the Pan-national Alliance for Korea's Reunification Friday held a press conference in Seoul on the demise of leader Kim Jong Il. At the conference it urged the authorities to send a mourners' group to the north.

The organization praised Kim Jong Il as a great man who adopted the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration.

It held that all Koreans should be allowed to mourn the demise of Kim Jong Il, chairman of National Defence Commission.

It also urged the "government" to form an official mourners' group and allow NGOs to send similar groups.