The June 15 joint declaration was a brilliant fruition of the noble patriotic will and firm reunification will of leader Kim Jong Il and great feat to be recorded long in history.

With far-reaching plan to end at an early date the tragic division of the nation and to bring about the drastic phase for reunification cause, Kim Jong Il provided the north-south summit, the first of its kind in 55 years of the nation's division, in June, Juche 89 (2000), and declared the adoption of the June 15 joint declaration with the idea of By Our Nation Itself as the core.

The June 15 joint declaration serves as a foundation for the nation's reconciliation and unity and a starting point for settling the issue of the north-south relations, and is a reunification programme common to the nation whose validity and vitality have been proven in practice.

The joint declaration displayed its great vitality in thawing in a minute the wall of confrontation that had remained frozen with mistrust and misunderstanding for more than half a century and in converting the north-south ties into genuine relations between compatriots and the relations oriented toward reunification irrespective of political view, religious belief and ism.

The publication of the joint declaration on settling the reunification issue independently by the concerted efforts of the nation, which is responsible for it, opened up a new era of By Our Nation Itself in which the national reunification movement advanced along the orbit of independence, and produced signal events in the bilateral relations.

In the days of implementing the June 15 joint declaration, dialogues and contacts were activated in all fields including politics, economy, military and culture and such historic events as re-linking land, sea and air were witnessed.

In order to give further momentum to the nation's zeal for reunification and to develop the north-south ties to a higher stage, Kim Jong Il provided another historic Pyongyang summit in October 2007 where the declaration for the development of the north-south relations and peace and prosperity was made public as a practical programme for implementing the June 15 joint declaration and this further pushed the entire Korean nation to the road of independent reunification.

Kim Jong Il was, indeed, the matchless patriot and the great sage of the nation who provided all the Koreans with the strong pillar of independent reunification and ushered in the new era of national unity.

True to Kim Jong Il's behest for the country's reunification, the respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un facilitated the two successful north-south summits this year, thereby opening up a new phase for the development of the north-south ties, reconciliation and unity of the nation and peace and prosperity.

All the Koreans in the north and the south and abroad will record the history of national unity, peace and prosperity on this land without fail, true to the great programme for the country's reunification.