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Grand Festival for National Reunification Opens in Kwangju

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

   Kwangju, June 14 (KCNA Correspondent) -- The grand festival for national reunification to mark the 6th anniversary of the historic June 15 joint declaration that ushered in the new era of national reconciliation, unity and independent reunification was opened in Kwangju, south Korea Wednesday. Delegates from the north and the south of Korea and abroad entered the venue of the opening ceremony, waving Korean Peninsula flags amidst warm welcome of the crowd.
    The opening ceremony was attended by members of the delegations of the authorities and non-governmental delegations of the north and the south and the delegation of the overseas side.
    After the festival was declared open, a large Korean Peninsula flag was hoisted amidst the playing of song "Arirang."
    Paek Rak Chong, chairman of the south side's committee who is co-chairman of the All-Korean Committee for the Implementation of the June 15 Joint Declaration, in his opening address underlined the need to give compatriots more opportunities to meet with each other and exchange their views defying any foreign interference or challenges at home and from abroad in order to implement the June 15 joint declaration. He expressed belief that this joint national event would mark another landmark occasion in implementing the declaration.
    Former President Kim Dae Jung in his speech noted that the June 15 south-north summit recorded as the most meaningful event in the history of the Korean nation was significant talks at which both sides vowed to stand for national self-determination and agreed on national reconciliation and cooperation.
    He extended thanks to Chairman of the National Defence Commission Kim Jong Il for leading the summit to a success.
    It is the supreme task before the fellow countrymen to reunify the nation divided by foreign forces, he noted, calling for handing over a proud reunified great country to posterity.
    Then followed congratulatory speeches.
    Kim Yong Dae, vice-chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland who is leading the delegation of the authorities of the north side, said: We are pleased to attend a grand festival that opened with splendor and hear loud shouts of "By our nation itself" reverberating far and wide here in Kwangju, the historic city where the movement for independence and reunification raged. This marks another event that demonstrates the spirit of the June 15 era and confirms once again the significance and vitality of the joint declaration in carving out the destiny of the Korean nation.
    Our option is clear at the crossroads of reconciliation or distrust, unity or confrontation, peace or war and reunification or division, he said, underlining the need to wage a dynamic struggle to achieve the independent and peaceful reunification of the country under the uplifted banner of "By our nation itself" whose validity has been proven in practice over the last six years.
    Ri Jong Sok, minister of Unification of south Korea who is leading the delegation of the authorities of the south side, said: Over the last six years the south and the north have striven hard to pull down the barrier of antipathy and confrontation. There were obstacles and difficulties in their way but they could overcome them as they had a strong will to implement the June 15 joint declaration without fail.
    Now is the time to break the chains of confrontation and distrust and carve out a future for a proud reunified nation, he said, calling for comprehensively developing exchange and cooperation in various fields.
    Kwak Tong Ui, co-chairman of the overseas side's committee for the implementation of the June 15 joint declaration, said that the north-south relations of distrust, misunderstanding, discord and confrontation were replaced by those of confidence, understanding, reconciliation and cooperation, a shining fruition of the historic June 15 joint declaration. The grand festival today is possible because June 15 has been deeply enshrined by the fellow countrymen as the "day of by our nation itself".
    It is the Korean nation which is responsible for reunification and it is again the Korean nation that is capable of achieving it, he said, calling for a nation-wide movement to categorically reject the outsiders' interference in the internal affairs of the nation and achieve reunification independently.
    Then art performances were given by the north, the south and the overseas sides.
    They were highly acclaimed by the audience for staging colorful numbers including songs of reunification theme, folk songs spiced with peculiar national flavor.
    The south side's committee to implement the joint declaration hosted a reception in honor of the north side's delegation to the festival Wednesday evening.
    The delegation of the authorities and some members of the non-governmental delegation of the north side visited the "May 18 State Cemetery" in Mangwol-dong, Kwangju on the same day.