Pyongyang, December 24 (KCNA) -- The Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea received a message of condolences from Jack Barnes, national secretary of the Socialist Workers' Party of the United States of America, on December 21 on the demise of leader Kim Jong Il.

The message said that the Socialist Workers' Party of the U.S. expresses condolences over the demise of Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK.

It reiterated support to the Korean people in their struggle to reunify the country and seek the withdrawal of all U.S. forces, aircraft, ships and conventional and nuclear weapons from Korea and the Pacific.

Korea is one, it noted, extending comradely salute.