DPRK Delegation on Its Stand at ARF Senior Officials' Meeting

Pyongyang, June 10 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea clarified the following stand at the senior officials' meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum under the agenda item "Exchange of views on regional and international issues" held in Singapore on June 7: The Korean peninsula just entered a new phase of change. Numerous inter-Korean visits and exchanges covering diverse areas of politics, culture, sports, etc. over a span of just five months since January compensated for the past 10 years in terms of scope, volume and significance, which is a remarkable change and a cause for celebration. Particularly, April 27, 2018 will forever be recorded as a historic milestone in the history of our national reunification. The adoption of the Panmunjom Declaration is a clear manifestation of the will to usher in a new era of national reconciliation, peace and prosperity. It demonstrated to the world that the north and the south of Korea can improve their relations, ease the tensions on the peninsula and make a breakthrough in achieving the independent reunification of the country if they pool their efforts together in the spirit of By Our Nation Itself. Comrade Kim Jong Un, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK, in May met the U.S. secretary of State and exchanged the stance and opinions of the supreme leaderships of the DPRK and the U.S. on their summit. This epochal change is the precious fruition brought about by Comrade Kim Jong Un, who made a courageous decision out of his noble love for the nation and strong will to secure peace. Thanks to the outstanding and seasoned leadership of Comrade Kim Jong Un, our people have a firm conviction that we will build a prosperous and powerful nation in the near future, concentrating all efforts on socialist economic construction now. The DPRK delegation believes that this favorable development of detente shaped on the Korean peninsula fully accord with the aims of the ARF that seek to preserve regional peace and security as well as enhance mutual trust and cooperation through dialogue and negotiation. The DPRK will continue as ever to exert all efforts to defend peace on the Korean peninsula and open a new era of independent reunification and national prosperity, and make sincere efforts to build a just and peaceful new world. -0-