June 15 for Reunification

The term “June 15 for Reunification” is much in vogue among the Korean people who have lived for nearly seven decades, divided into the north and the south by outsiders.
Why does the Korean nation aspiring after the national reunification in the sufferings of its division, place in parallel the words reunification and June 15?

It can be said that this term connotes a firm faith that only when the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration is thoroughly implemented can the reunification be achieved without fail.

In June 2000, the top leaders of the north and the south met in Pyongyang for the first time in history of the national division and discussed the issue of reunification. Leader Kim Jong Il of the north ensured that the joint declaration which constituted a guiding principle and a basic spirit in realizing the country’s reunification was adopted. As a result, the historic June 15 North-South Joint Declaration was made public to achieve theco-prosperity of the nation and reunify the country independently and peacefully based on the spirit of “By our nation itself.”
    The declaration evoked full support and sympathy of the entire Korean people. Thanks to it, the north and south of Korea, which are pursuing different ideas and systems and in the state of confrontation, distrust, dissention and antagonism with each other, could aspire after the reconciliation, unity and reunification of the entire nation, proceeding from the common features that they are one nation and of the same blood.

In the course of implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration, tremendous changes have taken place in the cause of the Korean nation for reunification. Several meetings of ministerial and other levels were held between the north and the south in the fields of politics, the economy, military affairs and culture, followed by the agreements made on giving priority to desire and interests of the fellow country people.

                 The reunification events that had been separately held in the past were promoted to be grand festivals of national reunification participated in by the Koreans in the north, south and overseas together and held in Pyongyang, Seoul, Mt. Kumgang and other places amidst great expectation and interests of the whole nation. Consequently, the industrial park was established to achieve common prosperity of the north and south in Kaesong city along the Military Demarcation Line, the railways and roads which had been cut off for more than half a century were relinked on land, and air and sea routes were made possible. Impressive reunions of families and relatives who had been separated for over five decades were realized, and many south Koreans visited Pyongyang to see the grand mass gymnastic and artistic performance Arirang, registered in Guinness Book of Records, and toured to such scenic spots in the north as Mts. Paektu, Kumgang and Myohyang. The athletes of the north and south jointly entered the stadiums for opening ceremonies of international competitions, including the Universiad, Asian Games and Olympic Games,proceeded by a flag bearing the map of Korea, and the cheerers from the north and the south Korean spectators enthusiastically cheered the sports-people, demonstrating that they were the one nation with same language, bloodline and culture.

The October 4 Declaration, a practical programme of the June 15 Joint Declaration, was adopted and made public in 2007, thus opening up a brighter vista of accomplishing the cause of Korean nation for reunification.
These eye-opening changes wrought out in inter-Korean relations are the fruition of the June 15 Joint Declaration that has affirmed to realize the national reunification and the common prosperity by concerted efforts of the Korean nation. The Korean people call this amazing reality that was even beyond imagination in the past the “June 15 reunification era.”
The word June 15 for reunification also incorporates the firm conviction and will of the Korean nation to reunify the country without fail under the banner of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration.
The past four years since the Lee Myung Bak took power in south Korea proved that the June \15 Joint Declaration was the only correct road to achieving the country’s reunification.
            From the outset of holding the reins of power, the Lee Myung Bak clan has denied in an all-round way the June 15 Joint Declaration and October 4 Declaration. They led the situation to confrontation by interrupting the successful advance in inter-Korean cooperation, the precious fruition of the June 15 reunification era, and cooking up all sorts of tricky plots in succession. The Cheonan incident and the artillery firing incident of Yonphyong Island in 2010 are their typical schemes. To make matters worse, they dared to slander the supreme dignity of the Korean nation that they regard more precious than their life. This let loose their anger like an erupting volcano. All ties of exchange and projects of cooperation between the north and the south were completely cut off and stopped, and the Korean peninsula is faced with crisis of a war that may break out at any time.
Affirmation of the June 15 Joint Declaration precisely means the reunification and its negation division and war—it has become the truth accepted by not only the Korean nation but the world community.
Now the entire Korean people are out for nationwide struggle to defend the June 15 Joint Declaration and bring back the age of peace, unity and prosperity. The Korean people havesentenced to death Lee Myung Bak regime, the ringleader of Korea’s division and confrontation, on behalf of the entire nation. South Korean people are also denouncing the Lee Myung Bak clan who is driving the inter-Korean relations to rapture and inviting a war. Voices for supporting the June 15 Joint Declaration and implementing it to the last are ringing out more loudly from the ntire Korean people in north, south and abroad.
 The Korean nation will achieve the country’s reunification and build a thriving country under the slogan of “June 15 for reunification.”