As soon as the new line and policies of national reunification were made public, they evoked a lively response.

This being a hard reality, only the south Korean authorities and a few other separatists dared make reckless remarks going against the trend of the times, chilling the hard-won atmosphere.

The DPRK government, political parties and organizations in a joint statement Monday clarified the following principled stand at home and abroad:

1. Everybody should wholeheartedly uphold the line and policies of independent reunification set forth by the peerlessly great man out of ardent patriotism.

They comprehensively deal with the principle of national independence, the principle of the great national unity and the ways of ensuring peace on the Korean peninsula and realizing the federal formula acceptable to everybody in the north and the south, and all other theoretical and practical issues which the Korean nation has sought at the cost of blood and whose truth has been proved in practice in the course of the arduous and protracted struggle for national reunification.

If all Koreans adhere to and carry out the line and policies, they can smoothly attain the goal of reunification, their desire, but if they fail to do so, they will neither be able to get rid of the permanent division and danger of a war nor escape from self-destruction in the long run.

If they have a true will to solve the issue of national reunification, everyone should not turn a deaf ear to the stark truth of history but sympathize and absolutely support the new line of national reunification.

If the fair and reasonable line and policies for national reunification which the entire nation supports and all people welcome are criticized and denied categorically, there will be nothing to be done any more between the north and the south.

If the south Korean authorities come out with any proposal from the stand of national independence and great national unity, we will candidly discuss it, though our new Juche-oriented line and policies are the most just and fair and aboveboard offer for reunification. This is our stand.

The government, political parties and organizations of the DPRK will make responsible efforts to implement the line and policies for independent reunification set forth at the Seventh Congress of the WPK, holding fast to them as a unique and supreme reunification programme of the nation, and take initiatives for necessary practical measures.

2. The Koreans in the north and the south and abroad are called upon to dynamically turn out in the general offensive towards the final victory of national reunification full of conviction.

The new line of independent reunification serves as a bright blueprint for building a reunified power based on a high sense of self-confidence in the strength of the nation and ardent love and trust in all Koreans.

Whoever was born on this land should turn out courageously in the general advance for national reunification, the greatest task of the nation, irrespective of ideology, political view and religious belief, from the steadfast viewpoint and stand to solve all problems in reliance upon the nation in its interests.

If all the 80 million Koreans lay even a small stepping stone for national reconciliation and unity by rooting out even a single source of confrontation and antagonism lying in the way of national reunification, instead of paying lip-service to reunification and patriotism, Korea's reunification will be hastened so much.

Let us unhesitatingly join hands with anyone without asking about his or her past if he or she has even a shred of national conscience though he or she has taken the road of opposing reunification so far, and follow the road of reunification and patriotism together. This is the true meaning of the idea of great national unity and the idea of By Our Nation Itself advocated by the DPRK.

If the south Korean authorities make an offer favorable for the great national unity based on the true spirit of independence, the DPRK is also willing to push ahead with it.

No one can block the Korean nation from dashing forward like the wind single-mindedly toward the rosy future of national reunification and prosperity.

3. The south Korean authorities should face up to our will and efforts for improving the north-south relations and bringing earlier national reunification and take responsible and reasonable option at the present crucial turning point.

We broadmindedly put forward once again true practical ways to improve the north-south relations, putting aside everything despite heinous confrontation moves to bring down our ideology and social system as we view a single step at present to decide the future of national reunification as crucial.

However, the south Korean authorities recklessly chill the enthusiasm of people at home and abroad, categorically slandering and insulting the generosity and goodwill of the compatriots, claiming that "peace offensive without denuclearization is meaningless" and "the north's proposal is insincere camouflaged offensive."

They went the lengths of reeling off a litany of extremely impolite and provocative outbursts that the north's sincere call and proposal is nothing but an artifice to "create discord in the south" and scuttle the "international cooperation" and "it is necessary to escalate international sanctions and pressure on the north till it dismantles nukes."

The DPRK's access to nukes has, in fact, nothing to do with the north-south relations. The more desperately the south Korean authorities mix the north-south relations with the nuclear issue, the deeper quagmire they will find themselves in.

Now the position and role of the DPRK have dramatically changed and its status as a nuclear weapons state remains steadfast no matter who recognizes it or not.

The trend of the situation on the Korean peninsula and in the region depends on our will and determination and the prospect of the north-south relations is also related to this.

As we have already clarified, there are peaceful and non-peaceful ways for national reunification and we are fully ready for both ways.

Although there are still a lot of difficulties and ordeals in the way of national reunification, nothing can block the dynamic advance of the Koreans dashing ahead like the wind for building a reunified power, staking it on the nation's dignity and honor.

We will win the final victory in the struggle for national reunification and build without fail a dignified and prosperous reunified power, an envy of the world, on this land true to the wise leadership of peerless patriot Kim Jong Un.