Best Way to Reunification

The Russian Internet Magazine Novoye Wostochnoye Ovozreniye in July this year gave an objective description of the matter of national reunification of the Korean peninsula, under the title of “Korea’s Reunification Viewed by Pyongyang and Seoul.”

In his article the writer noted the idea of the founding of the Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo (DFRK).

The proposal for the DFRK was made at the 6th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea held in October 1980.

The essence of the proposal is to reunify the country by drawing the north and the south together into a federal state, leaving the ideas and social systems existing in the north and the south as they are. Since all the people regard national reunification as the supreme task of the nation, the differences in ideology and system should not be left an insurmountable barrier to reunification.

It is a principled stand of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) that they will never force their ideology and social system upon south Korea and will subordinate everything to the interests of national reunion and reunification. For this stand, the DPRK decided that it would be reasonable if, in the reunified state of a federal type, a supreme national federal assembly was formed with an equal number of representatives from the north and the south and an appropriate number of representatives of overseas nationals; this assembly should form a federal standing committee to guide the regional governments of the north and the south and to deal with all the affairs of the federal state.

The state of a federal type is a state established on the two different systems based on one nation and regional autonomy.

The proposal for the DFRK is the most reasonable and realistic policy which reflects not only the unanimous desire of the Korean people to reunify their country as early as possible but also the actual conditions of Korea where two different social systems have existed and different ideas have prevailed in the north and the south. The international community has sent unreserved support and approval for the proposal as it is the fairest formula of reunification acceptable to anyone who loves the country and wishes for national reunification.

In spite of the commonness of federal states, the DFRK is distinctive from other federal states which are well-known in the history so far, in the purpose of foundation, form and structure as well as legal foundation. Unlike other federal countries which have existed so far, the DFRK will be the first federal state formed of a homogeneous nation based on different social systems, and the first federation of one nation with two regional autonomies within a unified state.

Twenty years after the proposal was made, the Korean nation greeted the June 15 era. The heads of the north and the south had a historic meeting, the first of its kind in 55 years of division, and adopted the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration, when all the Korean people brimmed over with the hope of national reunification.

Both sides made agreements on many issues. Typically, they agreed to solve the question of the country’s reunification independently by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation responsible for it. Recognizing that the low-level federation proposed by the north and the commonwealth system proposed by the south for the reunification of the country have similarity, they agreed to work together for the reunification in this direction in the future.

As a great progress was made in the implementation of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration, both sides got the time of reconciliation and cooperation ironing out all confrontation, tension and distrust, and opened up a new vista for national reunification. In addition, the barrier of misunderstanding and distrust between the north and the south collapsed and the broken railways and roads were linked again while air and sea routes were opened.

After the adoption of the joint declaration, the whole world expressed support, and statements, resolutions and documents were adopted at international conferences, including the UN summit conference in the new millennium and the 55th session of the UN General Assembly.

The north and the south are advised not to forget the memorable days called the June 15 Era.