Leader Kim Jong Il provided the Pyongyang summit and adopted the June 15 joint declaration true to the noble intention of President Kim Il Sung who dedicated all his life to the cause of national reunification. It marked a historic event which brought about a turning-point in improving the north-south relations and achieving national reunification, the statement notes, and continues:

The publication of the June 15 joint declaration made it possible for the north and the south of Korea to defuse the distrust and confrontation which had lasted for more than half century and greet a new era advancing toward reconciliation, unity and reunification by concerted efforts of the Koreans.

Had the north-south relations made steady advance along the way indicated by the June 15 joint declaration, eye-opening changes and successes would have been achieved in the drive for national reunification, the desire of the Korean nation.

However, the north-south relations were brought back to the era of confrontation in the past due to the despicable moves of the Lee Myung Bak conservative group which totally denied the north-south joint declarations and this catastrophe has reached a grave phase at present.

Upon the authorization the DPRK government in its statement clarifies the following stand, prompted by the will to save the north-south relations from a serious crisis and bring about a landmark turn in national reconciliation and unity:

1. It is necessary to have a firm stand to improve the north-south relations and solve the reunification issue independently by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation.

It is the basic spirit of the June 15 joint declaration to solve issues related to the inter-Korean relations and the matter of the country's reunification independently by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation responsible for it.

The north and the south should settle all the issues arising in improving the inter-Korean relations and achieving reunification in line with the interests and desire of the nation with strong national self-respect.

The south Korean authorities should stop soliciting "international cooperation" to hurt the fellow countrymen in the north by relying on outside forces, not leaving the national issue to their tender mercy.

They should come out for improving the inter-Korean relations and solving the reunification issue by the concerted efforts of the Koreans.

2. The south Korean authorities should not seek "unification of social systems" inciting distrust and confrontation between the north and the south.

Now that differing ideologies and social systems have existed in the north and the south for the past seven decades, any attempt to achieve reunification under one social system would bring nothing but confrontation and war.

The north and the south recognized the common points in the north-proposed federation of lower stage and the south-proposed confederation in the June 15 joint declaration and agreed to work for reunification in this direction.

The south Korean authorities should clearly understand that the co-existence and co-prosperity of the north and the south irrespective of ideology and social systems are the most reasonable and realistic way for national reunification.

3. The south Korean authorities should stop north-targeted war exercises in collusion with the U.S.

The south Korean authorities staged ceaseless war rehearsals against the north such as Key Resolve and Foal Eagle joint military exercises in league with the U.S., chilling the desire of all Koreans for reunification and scuppering the golden chances for improving the inter-Korean relations.

The inter-Korean relations can never improve nor can the Korean peninsula get rid of the danger of a nuclear war as long as these military threat and provocations persist.

The south Korean authorities should halt such dangerous act as leaving the life and safety of the Koreans exposed to the war shambles of aggressors as a shock brigade in carrying out the U.S. strategy for dominating the Asia-Pacific region.

There is no need for them to feel any uneasiness and fear of the DPRK's self-defensive deterrence for protecting the dignity, stability and peace of the nation but they should discontinue acts of treachery of taking issue with it.

They should put a definite end to all military drills with the U.S. and come out for defending peace and stability on the Korean peninsula by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation.

4. It is necessary to create a climate for mending the north-south relations.

Slandering each other is a venomous practice fostering distrust and hatred towards fellow countrymen and such practice, if unchecked, may lead to physical conflict and war.

The south Korean authorities should not just pay lip-service to "confidence-building " and "improvement of relations" but stop all provocations of rattling the nerves of the DPRK and slandering it.

The south Korean authorities should boldly remove the legal and institutional barriers blocking north-south contacts, visits, exchange and cooperation and create environment favorable for repairing the relations.

5. The north and the south should take practical measures to implement the historic north-south joint declarations.

The June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration are valuable agreements made at the summits of the north and the south for the improvement of the relations and co-prosperity and solemn promises made by the north and the south authorities to the nation.

If the north-south joint declarations should be denied and their implementation suspended because of regime changes, no issue can be settled between the north and the south in the future.

The south Korean authorities should not just pay lip-service to respect for the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration but prove it in practice.

The south Korean authorities should bear in mind that they are now standing at the crossroads: Whether they join hands with the north to repair the inter-Korean relations or they will meet the same miserable end as what their predecessors did while standing in confrontation with the north to the last.

Consistent is the stand of the DPRK to pave a wide avenue to independent reunification by bringing about a great turn in the north-south relations.