67 years have passed since the Korean nation defeated the Japanese imperialists' aggression and greeted the day of sovereignty and independence, says the appeal, adding:

The Japanese imperialists have stretched out their tentacles of war and colonial rule from the early 20th century and the tragic history of division and conflict goes on even in the new century.

Last year Japan examined and passed the textbooks that justified its colonial rule over Korea and deleted the issue of sexual slavery for the Imperial Japanese Army and slaughter of Koreans in the great Kanto quake.

It indicated Japan's attempt to cover up its history of war of aggression and crimes against humanity.

Japan can not forge relations of peace and cooperation with any country without apology for the war of aggression and colonial rule and reparation for them.

It is foremost duty for Japan to make an official apology and legal reparation for all the crimes it committed against the Korean nation including the sexual slavery.

Japan should stop the distortion of history textbooks, acknowledge the war of aggression and crimes during its colonial rule over other nations and rewrite textbooks as something that implies its repentance of them to educate the rising generation in peace and human rights.

The Japanese authorities should stop all hostile acts and discrimination against the Korean residents in Japan and preferentially provide them with the rights to existence and national education and all other rights.

Japan should cancel its attempt to stage comeback to Korea including its territorial claim to "Tok Islets".

Tok Islets are inalienable part of territory of Korea in the light of history and international law.

Japan's moves to grab the islets and make them a disputed area can not be overlooked as they are aimed to violate the sovereignty of the DPRK and realize the militarist ambition for it and the rest of Northeast Asia.

Japan would be well advised to wake up from its pipe dream and drop its claim to the islets.

It should also stop all the attempts to turn the Korean Peninsula into the theatre of showdown in Northeast Asia including the revision of "pacifist constitution" and overseas advance of the "Self-Defense Forces".

Let us open up a new horizon for national reconciliation and unity and peace and reunification of the country by implementing the north-south joint declarations.

The adoption of the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration and the efforts for implementing them helped remove somewhat conflicts and discords between the north and the south and open up a new era of reconciliation and unity. However, the past four years in which confrontation policy was openly pursued by the anti-reunification forces drove the inter-Korean relations to collapse. This caused a U-turn in the situation at home and abroad and resulted in a wall rising higher in the way for peace and reunification.

Now not only the north-south dialogue but NGO exchanges and cooperation have been stalled, creating tense situation of military conflicts in this land.

The present grave situation is attributable to the south Korean regime's denial of the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration and escalation of confrontation with fellow countrymen.

However, no hurdles can ever check the nation's powerful advance toward reconciliation, unity, peace and reunification.

A key to removing the danger of confrontation and war and opening up new era of peace and reunification is in respecting and implementing the north-south joint declarations.

All Koreans at home and abroad!

Let us pool our efforts to open up the second June 15 era of reunification which is to be full of joy and emotion for reunification free from danger of a war!

Let us unite close and open up a new horizon for national reconciliation, unity, peace and reunification under the banner of the north-south joint declarations!