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Opening of Grand Festival for National Reunification Held

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK via Korea News Service (KNS)

    Pyongyang, June 14 (KCNA) -- The grand festival for national reunification marking the fifth anniversary of the historic June 15 joint declaration was opened at the Kim Il Sung Stadium here with splendor Tuesday evening. Present at the opening ceremony were representatives of the Workers' Party of Korea and other political parties including Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, Kim Yong Dae, chairman of the Central Committee of the Korean Social Democratic Party, Ryu Mi Yong, chairperson of the Central Committee of the Korean Chondoist Chongu Party, who are honorary chairpersons of the north side's preparatory committee for joint functions of Koreans in the north, the south and overseas to implement the June 15 joint declaration, and those of the Central Committee of the Democratic Front representatives of the Uri Party, the "Grand National Party", the Democratic Workers' Party, the Democratic Party and other political parties and pro-reunification organizations including the Reunification Solidarity for the Implementation of the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration and Peace on the Korean Peninsula, the All-People Council for National Reconciliation and Cooperation, the Headquarters of the Movement for Reunified Korean Nation, representatives of peace movement organizations and representatives of various circles, different fields and regions of south Korea.
    Present from the overseas side were Kwak Tong Ui and Mun Tong Hwan, co-chairmen of the overseas side's preparatory committee for joint functions of Koreans in the north, the south and overseas to implement the June 15 joint declaration and representatives of pro-reunification organizations, peace movement organizations and Koreans organizations for national rights and other Koreans bodies representing different fields in various countries and regions including China, Russia, Japan, the United States, Europe, Canada and Oceania.
    The opening ceremony was attended by the delegations of the north and south authorities respectively headed by Kim Ki Nam, vice-chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, and Jong Tong Yong, minister of Unification, and personages at home and abroad who have contributed to the sacred cause of national reunification and the work to implement the June 15 joint declaration, for the first time in the history of the national division.
    More than 50,000 working people and youth and students in Pyongyang warmly welcomed representatives of the north, south and overseas sides, chanting "By Our Nation Itself" and "National Reunification" and other slogans.
    As female representatives of the three sides entered the stadium carrying a huge Korean Peninsula flag, the flag of the festival, with them and hoisted it amid the playing of the song "Song of Great National Unity," balloons soared into the sky over the stadium and pigeons flew high and fireworks were displayed, beautifully decorating the nocturnal sky over the city.
    When An Kyong Ho, chairman of the north side's preparatory committee for joint functions of Koreans in the north, the south and overseas to implement the June 15 joint declaration, declared the festival open, a huge balloon from which was suspending a streamer reading "Grand June 15 Festival for Reunification" soared into the sky from the centre of the field of the stadium amid the sound of a bell heralding the opening of the festival.
    Paek Rak Chong in his speech said that the grand festival for the national reunification is a grand festival of the nation which epitomizes the successes made in the last period in the spirit of the joint declaration and an assembly for the great national unity that demonstrates to the whole world the nation's aspiration after peace and its will for reunification.
    ¡¡Underscoring the need to let the world know that neither obstacle nor military threat could stop the Korean people's advance to achieve peace and reunification, he called for making this year, 60 years since the division of Korea, a year of bringing about a turning phase of peace and reunification.
    Kim Su Sik, vice-chairman of the overseas side's preparatory committee, said in his speech:
    It is the lesson taught by the last five years since the publication of the joint declaration that without the struggle against the anti-reunification forces, it is impossible to implement the June 15 joint declaration. All the Koreans will surely punish the United States and the anti-reunification forces serving their master with the might of the strong unity under the banner of national independence, peace against war and reunification and patriotism.
    Yang Hyong Sop in a congratulatory speech said that the grand festival is the biggest-ever national assembly since the division of the country because broad strata of personages and compatriots representing different circles in the north, the south and overseas have gathered there to share the will for reunification and patriotism.
    The Korean nation succeeded in finding out its way out at the historic turning point where a new millennium had begun, he said, adding that the June 15 joint declaration warmed the relations between the north and the south which had long kept away from each other and put the inter-Korean relations characterized by antagonism and confrontation on the orbit of reconciliation, cooperation and reunification.
    He expressed the belief that the festival would achieve shining success and thus bring greater hope to all the fellow countrymen aspiring after national reunification and decorate this significant year as a year of opening a new phase in the movement for independent reunification.
    Rev. Popjang, honorary representative of the south side's preparatory committee in his speech said that the spirit of reconciliation enshrined in the joint declaration has served as a cornerstone of confidence and unity.
    But for the June 15 joint declaration, it would have been quite impossible for Koreans in the south, the north and overseas and representatives of the south and north authorities to have such a grand assembly as today.