Noting the homogeneous Korean nation with a history spanning 5 000 years is still suffering the tragedy resulting from its split.

Due to the U.S. which occupied south Korea by force of arms under the mask of "liberator" 70 years ago, Korea was divided into the north and the south. Since then, the Korean nation has suffered untold misfortune and pain.

It is the Korean nation which has undergone big pain due to distrust and confrontation between the north and the south.

Putting an end to the history of north-south confrontation is urgently required for defusing the danger of war and ensuring durable peace on the Korean Peninsula, a hot spot in the world.

It is a fact recognized by the world that the Korean nation is a resourceful and creative nation.

The improvement of the north-south relations would pave a broad avenue to ensuring peace on the peninsula and achieving uniform development and co-prosperity of the nation.

It was clearly evidenced by the fact that the north-south relations characterized by distrust and confrontation turned into the ones of reconciliation and cooperation in the wake of the adoption of the historic June 15 North-South Joint Declaration.

The north and the south can surely settle any issue if they have a firm will to defuse old distrust and put an end to the history of confrontation from the stand of By Our Nation Itself.

What matters is how the south Korean regime responds to the practical proposals made by the DPRK to develop the north-south relations as required by the times and as desired by all Koreans.

The world hopes to see the north-south relations improve as early as possible.