In the 1970s he opened the door to dialogue between the north and the south of Korea, with his broad magnanimity and ardent patriotism, and provided a good tradition for advancing the cause of national reunification by the unified efforts of all Koreans.

He saw to it that the Fifth Session of the 4th Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK in April Juche 60 (1971) dealt with the matter for promoting the independent reunification of the country and adopted an eight-point appeal to the political parties, social organizations, personages and other people in south Korea.

Then he made an epochal proposal for opening the door to dialogue between authorities of the north and the south. He clarified, in his speech at the Pyongyang mass meeting held on August 6 that year to welcome the visiting state leader of a country, that the DPRK was ready to have contacts at any time with all political parties, including the ruling Democratic Republican Party, and social organizations and individuals in south Korea.

Under this proposal, the contact and dialogue began to be made for the first time between the north and the south of Korea, despite the obstructive moves of the south Korean authorities seeking "unification by prevailing over communism", and later they developed into north-south Red Cross talks and high-level political talks.

Such devoted efforts of the President led to adoption of the July 4 Joint Statement, the keynote of which is the three principles for national reunification--independence, peaceful reunification and great national unity--, at the north-south high-level talks in 1972.

His feats for national reconciliation and reunification had been creditably carried forward by leader Kim Jong Il, who ushered in the June 15 era of reunification in which all Koreans struggled for independent reunification and peace and prosperity by their united efforts in the spirit of "By Our Nation Itself" and provided the adoption of the October 4 Declaration to accelerate the nationwide struggle for the country's reunification.

The DPRK is now taking practical steps for improved north-south relations, true to the decisive resolve and will of Marshal Kim Jong Un.