The New Year Address says that north and south, as they agreed, should take practical measures proactively to remove military hostility on the whole of the Korean peninsula, including the ground, airspace and sea, as a follow-up to its ending in the areas of confrontation, adding that it is also needed to actively promote multi-party negotiations for replacing the current ceasefire on the Korean peninsula with a peace mechanism, so as to lay a lasting and substantial peace-keeping foundation.

The peace and security on the peninsula is a matter affecting the very destiny of the Korean nation and a prerequisite for Korea's reunification.

Unless the physical confrontation on the peninsula ends, it is impossible to think of the true reconciliation, unity, peace and prosperity of the Korean nation and to accomplish the historic great cause of national reunification.

It is the steadfast will of the Workers' Party of Korea and the government of the DPRK to promote the process of detente and create a peaceful climate for the national reunification on the peninsula.

The DPRK, with a noble sense of duty to defend the security and peace of the nation, has struggled non-stop to turn the acute tension on the peninsula into detente and dialogue.

It is thanks to the proactive and bold measures of our Party and government for effecting a great turn in the north-south ties that a peace-oriented current was created on the peninsula and that the Panmunjom Declaration, the September Pyongyang Joint Declaration and the north-south agreement in the military field, which are a virtual nonaggression declaration, in which the north and the south have committed themselves to terminating fratricidal war based on force of arms, were adopted.

Witnessing the wonderful changes which took place in the inter-Korean ties which had been pushed to the ones of the worst distrust and confrontation, all the fellow countrymen had a firm conviction that if they struggle with a firm determination to usher in an era of national reconciliation, peace and prosperity, they can turn the Korean peninsula into the true home of the nation, which is the most peaceful and will prosper forever.

For the realization of the peace on the peninsula there are still matters to end U.S.-south Korea joint military drills, establish peace mechanism, etc.

The Party and the DPRK government remain consistent and steadfast in the stand and will to make the Korean peninsula a true prosperous home of the Korean nation and a lasting peace zone.

All the fellow countrymen should unite as one, being conscious that they are responsible for preserving peace on the peninsula, in order to wage a brisk campaign to frustrate all the moves that wreck peace and incite military tension on this land.