In the address, he underscored the need to reject foreign forces and hold fast to the standpoint of By Our Nation Itself in order to resolve the reunification issue in keeping with the aspiration and desire of the Korean people.

The standpoint of By Our Nation Itself precisely is that towards the principle of national reunification common to the nation.

For the Korean nation, there is a principle of national reunification common to the nation, which was already confirmed by the north and the south with full support from all the fellow countrymen.

The fundamental principle to be maintained and implemented by both of the north and the south is the three principles for national reunification -- independence, peaceful reunification and great national unity -- and the idea of By Our Nation Itself.

The idea of By Our Nation Itself is the essence of the June 15 joint declaration, which serves as the guidelines for the reunification of the Korean nation in the new century, and the October 4 declaration, the implementation program for the joint declaration. It represents the aspiration and requirement of the entire Korean nation for reunification issue and gives the most scientific answers to theoretical and practical matters in accomplishing the cause of reunification.

Kim Jong Un in his New Year Address set forth it as an important task for the reunification of the country to reject foreign forces and hold fast to the standpoint of By Nation Itself, which clarifies the essential way to resolve the issue of the destiny of the nation and reunification issue in keeping with the aspiration and desire of the fellow countrymen.

It belongs to the nation's right to self-determination to solve national issues as desired by the nation.

It is vital for the Korean nation that has suffered the tragedy of national division forced upon it by outsiders to reject the domination and interference by outsiders and keep the standpoint of independence in solving the national issue, the reunification issue.

It is illogical to resolve the reunification issue, the issue belonging to the nation's right to self-determination, by leaving it in the hands of outside forces.

It is an unpardonable act of infringing upon the national sovereignty that the outside forces intervene in the national issue in a bid to reduce the reunification issue to a thing for bargain, as they are seeking their aggressive interests only.

The Korean nation should hold fast to the principle of independent reunification as its mainstay. Herein lies the basic guarantee for defending the dignity of the nation from the outsiders' interference and successfully accomplishing the cause of national reunification in the common interests of the nation.

The principle of independence can never be changed in any case as the north and the south put forward it as the key principle in resolving the reunification issue.

Its great vitality was clearly manifested through the efforts to implement the June 15 joint declaration.

With the idea of By Our Nation Itself, the Korean people fully displayed their steadfast will to achieve the independent national reunification without any interference of outside forces in the June 15 reunification era.

The driving force for national reunification is all the members of the Korean nation in the north, in the south and abroad; only when they remain steadfast in this standpoint can they reunify the country independently in line with the nation's interests and demands.

It is a humiliating treachery of leaving the destiny of the nation in the hands of outside forces to go on a tour around foreign countries touting for "international cooperation" for confrontation with the north in resolving the inter-Korean relations issue, instead of trying to improve the inter-Korean relations by the nation itself.

The north and the south should uphold the principle of independence, which is one of the three principles for national reunification and has been confirmed in the north-south joint declarations, hold fast to the standpoint of By Our Nation Itself, and respect and implement the declarations with sincerity.