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Delegation of South Side's Authorities Feted

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

    Pyongyang, June 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, hosted a banquet at the Mokran House Thursday evening in honor of the delegation of the south Korean authorities led by Jong Tong Yong, minister of Unification, which participated in the grand festival for national reunification to mark the 5th anniversary of the June 15 joint declaration. Kim Ki Nam, vice-chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, in his speech at the reception hailed the successful close of the June 15 grand festival, which opened in Pyongyang with a large attendance of representatives of the authorities of the north and the south and people from all walks of life in the north and the south and overseas.
    He said:
    At this meaningful banquet overflowing with compatriotic feelings I would like to recall with deep emotion the day of June 2000 when respected General Kim Jong Il and President Kim Dae Jung agreed upon the North-South Joint Declaration reflecting the noble patriotic intention and solemnly made it public internally and externally.
    The inter-Korean relations are turning into the ties of reconciliation, cooperation and reunification. This is the precious fruition of the idea of "By our nation itself", the basic spirit of the June 15 joint declaration.
    The exploits the top leaders of the north and the south performed by providing the historic Pyongyang summit and the June 15 joint declaration to open up a new history of "By our nation itself" will be handed down to posterity along with the history of the Korean nation.
    Everybody should bear deep in mind the intention of the top leaders of the north and the south who provided the June 15 joint declaration and have firm confidence in the future, he said, calling for upholding the joint declaration through national cooperation and implementing it in good faith.
    Jong Tong Yong in his speech said: Holding this grand festival for national reunification, all of us came to keenly realize that we are of the homogenous nation.
    The Pyongyang summit was a great watershed that changed the direction of the national history, he said, expressing conviction that the south and the north would achieve the reunification by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation along the road indicated by the June 15 joint declaration.
    He expressed thanks to the north side's delegation and citizens in Pyongyang for having warmly received and welcomed the south side's delegation.
    The participants in the banquet toasted the reunification of the Korean nation. A performance was given there by artistes of the north side.
    Among those present were Kwon Ho Ung, head of the delegation of the north side to the inter-Korean ministerial talks, Kim Yong Sam, minister of Railways, Kim Yong Jin, minister of Education, Kim Su Hak, minister of Public Health, and officials concerned.