The task for national reunification clarified by Kim Jong Un in his New Year Address serves as important guidelines to be held fast to by the Korean nation this year in the patriotic movement for reunification, the statement said.

Fully supporting the call for frustrating the challenges by the anti-reunification forces within and without and ushering in a new era of independent reunification, the statement went on:

The three principles for national reunification and the north-south joint declarations are the great programmes common to the nation.

If they are sincere about improving inter-Korean relations and reunifying the country peacefully, the south Korean authorities must make it clear that they intend to respect and implement with sincerity the three principles for national reunification, June 15 Joint Declaration and October 4 Declaration whose validity has been proved in practice.

All the Korean people in the north, the south and abroad will smash all challenges and obstructive moves by the anti-reunification forces within and without and build a dignified and prosperous reunified country without fail under the banner of By Our Nation Itself.