Joint Statement of Trade Unions in North and South of Korea

Pyongyang, June 18 (KCNA) -- The Central Committee of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea and south Korea's Federation of Trade Unions and Confederation of Trade Unions issued a joint statement on June 15, the 18th anniversary of the historic June 15 joint declaration. The statement said that the June 15 joint declaration, which all Koreans including the workers in the north and the south had firmly defended and implemented, was led to the Panmunjom declaration at last and the emotion of June 15 developed into the joy and passion of April 27 and then set the entire nation agog with excitement of May 26. Expressing full support for the two inter-Korean summits in Panmunjom and the adoption of the April 27 declaration again, the organizations of workers in the north and the south are filled with enthusiasm and will to take the lead in making a new history, a new era of peace and reunification, it added. Noting that all Koreans are now faced with the historic task of the nation to end the history of division and subordination, which has lasted for over 70 years, and realize the independent reunification, the statement said: Workers in the north and the south will discharge in the van the duty facing the nation at the historic turning point that our nation brought by its own efforts, overcoming the hill of ordeal and crisis. It is the most primary task for co-existence and co-prosperity of the nation to put an end to the history of mistrust and confrontation and establish a durable peace-keeping regime on this land. At the historic turning point made in 73 years of division, the workers in the north and the south will do their best to settle the historic task facing our nation. Today the idea of By Our Nation Itself, clarified in the June 15 joint declaration, was developed into the principle of national independence in the Panmunjom declaration. The party most responsible for peace and reunification is just our nation. The workers in the north and the south will conduct all their activities strictly in the spirit of By Our Nation Itself and the principle of national independence and stand in the van of struggle to decisively reject domination and interference of outsiders obstructive to peace and reunification. They will resolutely struggle against any attempt to impair the Panmunjom declaration and do their best for the unceasing implementation of the declaration. The statement expressed the firm resolve of all the workers in the north and the south to dynamically usher in a new era of peace and independent reunification. -0-