MASS MOVEMENT FOR NATIONAL REUNIFICATION
Mass movement for national reunification
In recent days the south Korean civic organizations and the people of various strata are intensifying the struggle to implement the historic June 15 joint declaration, a milestone for Korea’s reunification, and its practical program, the October 4 declaration.
Some days ago the Southside Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country’s Reunification released an appeal calling for driving out the US troops and realizing the independent reunification by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation and achieving peace and prosperity by implementing the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration.
Reunification movement organizations in Seoul area held a forum under the subject “We defend the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration!” and the General Student Council of Yeoungnam University issued an appeal to call on all the students organizations to turn out in unity in the struggle for implementing the inter-Korean declarations.
The National Teachers’ Union announced that it would conduct the “June 15 south-north joint lecture” at the primary, middle and high schools throughout south Korea and the South Side Committee of the Solidarity for Realizing the June 15 Joint Declaration held a “walking tournament for reunification” at a pleasure park in Ansan city, Gyeonggi Province.
And some 2000 members of opposition parties including the Democratic Party, the Democratic Labor Party and the Solidarity for Progress and other civic organizations held a rally in Seoul, calling to more vigorously advance the grand march for national reunification.
The People for Peace and Reunification and other civic organizations held in Seoul a ceremony to declare the campaign period to implement the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration for independent reunification, peace and prosperity, demonstrating their will to realize the country’s reunification by the Korean nation itself.
The struggle headquarters of the 17th-term South Korean Federation of University Student Councils stressed in a statement that the implementation of the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration is an absolute and unconditional task to put an end to the foreign occupation and the national division, and to achieve the independent reunification. It expressed that it would devote the blood and sweat o of the youth to the struggle to liquidate the anti-reunification forces that are hamstringing the implementation of the inter-Korean declarations and bring about the independent reunification.
The opposition parties including the Democratic Party and the Democratic Labor Party and more than 40 civic organizations claimed that the south Korean regime should work out a plan to implement the June 15 joint declaration and hold the inter-Korean dialogue and 23 veterans of the pro-reunification movement organizations made public a declaration on the situation in Seoul demanding the authorities implement the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration.
The AINDF and the south Korean people will further intensify the struggle to implement the inter-Korean joint declarations despite the challenges of the anti-reunification forces at home and abroad and bring about the reunification without fail.
Different Circles Called for Turning Out in the Struggle
to Implement the Inter-Korean Joint Declarations
On September 12 the “2009 Academic Festival of Youth and Students for Reunification” was held at Dongguk University.
A contest of reunification-related theses was staged first where a number of theses with various subjects reflecting the volition of reunification written by the youth and students of different universities and young people's organizations.
Holding that the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration are the program of reunification containing the most just and rational principles and ways for the national prosperity and reunification, the theses emphasized that they should thoroughly defend and implement them, conduct a correct education of reunification in accordance with the spirit of the June 15 joint declaration and activate the inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation.
Then multifarious events were staged amidst their ardent enthusiasm for reunification, including “contest of reciting the June 15 joint declaration”, “literary gathering for reunification”, oratorical contest and book, photo and painting exhibition.
Days ago, the Solidarity for Realizing the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration issued a statement urging the government authorities to implement the south-north joint declarations. It pledged itself to stand in the van of the struggle for implementing the declarations stressing that “if we unite our efforts by our nation itself as clarified by the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration we could be the greatest power in the world.”
Civic organizations including the Southside Committee for Implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration and the Solidarity for Progress, and workers and students organizations demanded the government authorities repeal the anti-north confrontational policy but implement the inter-Korean declarations.
They strongly urged the government authorities to switch their anti-north hostile policy to a policy of reconciliation, cooperation and clarify their willingness to value and faithfully implement the declarations.
They called upon those who eagerly want national reunification, not confrontation and mistrust between the compatriots to unite as one transcending differences in religion, political view and factional affiliation and strive to implement the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration.
Prior to this, different civic organizations and opposition parties including the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the Seoul Reunification Solidarity, the People for Peace and Reunification and the preparatory committee of the Federation of the Youth Organizations held in Seoul the “cultural event for independent reunification”. Criticizing that the US is the ringleader that enforces the anti-DPRK sanctions and escalates the tension on the Korean Peninsula, they demonstrated their will to oppose the foreign forces and realize the reunification by the Korean nation itself.