Kim Il Sung (1912-1994), the eternal President of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, devoted himself heart and soul to the cause of achieving national reunification.

The following happened on July 7, 1994, the day before his death, when he was at his desk going over a document about the upcoming inter-Korean summit. The meeting would go a long way towards bringing down the curtain on the tragedy of national division lasting nearly half a century, and opening up a new phase for Korea’s reunification.

Turning over the pages, he visualized the forthcoming great event. Finally, he signed the document: “Kim Il Sung, July 7, 1994.”

This was his last signature, which symbolized how much pains he took for national reunification until the last moment of his life.

Back in the days following Korea’s liberation (August 15, 1945), he established the ennobling tradition of national reconciliation and unity.

In south Korea the US was scheming for “separate elections” and “separate government” in the name of the UN. At this critical juncture Kim Il Sung called a historic joint conference of the representatives of political parties and social organizations from north and south Korea. And in subsequent years he put forward a few hundred lines, policies, programmes and proposals concerning national reunification through reports, speeches and talks.

Out of extraordinary wisdom and ardent love for the nation, he set out the three principles for national reunification, the ten-point programme for the great unity of the whole nation and the plan for founding the Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo. Based on the principle of national independence and patriotism, these were intended to achieve complete sovereignty of the country and national prosperity.

Kim Jong Il (1942-2011), the eternal Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, regarded it as his lifelong mission to carry out the instructions the President gave in his lifetime with regard to the reunification issue. With a view to turning Panmunjom on the Military Demarcation Line into the symbol of national reunification, he saw to it that a monument bearing the President’s last signature was erected there.

On November 24, 1996, gazing at the monument during his inspection of Panmunjom, he formulated the aforesaid three initiatives as three charters for Korea’s reunification. Accordingly, a few years later, Pyongyang witnessed the long-awaited inter-Korean summit. On this historic day when the focus of international attention was on the meeting between the two Korean leaders, Chairman Kim Jong Il said to President Kim Dae Jung and his entourage: Were President   Kim Il Sung alive, he would be here to welcome you; In fact, I expected that this would take place in his lifetime.

This was how the June 15 era of reunification was ushered in, which culminated with another inter-Korean summit again in Pyongyang.

Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un is carrying forward the cause of national reunification to honour President Kim Il Sung’s and Chairman Kim Jong Il’s exploits.

During his inspection of Panmunjom six years ago, he reaffirmed his commitment to realize the lifelong desire of the great leaders and hand down the reunified country to the generations to come.

In his first public speech made at the parade held in celebration of the centenary of the birth of the President, he stated that the government of the DPRK would join hands with anyone who sincerely wishes the reunification of the country and the peace and prosperity of the nation, and make responsible and persevering efforts to realize the historic cause of national reunification. And in the report to the Seventh Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea, he defined national reunification as the most important and urgent task facing the WPK in fulfilling its responsibility for the future of country and the nation, and advanced realistic policies to this end.

In his New Year address for this year he said that the DPRK will, in the future, too, resolve all issues by the efforts of the Korean nation itself under the unfurled banner of national independence and frustrate the schemes by anti-reunification forces within and without on the strength of national unity, thereby opening up a new history of national reunification.

The inter-Korean summit held on April 27 this year at the southern section of Panmunjom resulted in the adoption of the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Reunification on the Korean Peninsula.

Steered by the outstanding leader, the nation will achieve one Korea in the near future.