joint report by the chairmen conference of the 6.15 National Joint Committee; 8.15 Ceremony in Seoul
| The July 4th South-North Joint Declaration in 1972 is the first consent for Unification between the South and the North after their division, which is upon the basic three principles of Independence, Peace and The Greatest National Solidarity. The June 15th Joint Declaration in 2000 is the very first Joint Declaration for Unification after the division proclaimed by the two most powerful sovereignties from the South and the North at their summit meeting. The Declaration confirms that there are commonalities between the ways for Unification by the South and those by the North and presents it to the whole world. The National Joint Committee for the June 15th (6.15) Joint Declaration Fulfillment is the greatest national activist organization for Unification in public/civic realm, covering not just the South and the North but also the Overseas countries. The National Joint Committee consists of the Southern Committee, the Northern Committee and the Overseas Committee. [editor’s note] |
6.15 Joint Declaration Annual Ceremony to be held in Gaeseong this year – joint report by the chairmen conference of the 6.15 National Joint Committee; 8.15 Ceremony in Seoul
The South, North and Overseas chairmen to the National Joint Committee for the June 15th (6.15) Joint Declaration Fulfillment have decided to hold the 16th annual ceremony of the Joint Declaration in Gaeseong this year. They also have consented to hold the 71st annual ceremony of 8.15 [day of liberation from Japan in 1945] in Seoul this year, as a national joint ceremony with those from all strata, parties and organizations in the South, the North and the Overseas countries.
The 6.15 National Joint Committee, through its joint report signed by the chairmen after the South, North and Overseas chairmen conference held on May 20 in Shenyang, China, announced as such and declared, “The conference has decided that the National Joint Committee for the Fulfillment discuss further about practical steps to follow the three principles for the Unification from the 7.4 Joint Declaration [in 1972], the 6.15 Joint Declaration [in 2000] and the 10.4 Declaration [in 2007], so strengthening national reconciliation and unity, renewing the South-North relationship and broadening ways for our peaceful and independent unification.” The Committee also stressed that it would actively propel various national joint events and solidarity activism of all those in the South, the North and the Overseas countries.
The Northern Committee had originally suggested that the Joint Committee hold the 6.15 Ceremony this year in Pyongyang but accepted the strong suggestion of the Southern Committee that the Ceremony this year be held in Gaeseong, not Pyongyang, and the Joint Committee has reached the consent of Gaseong, not Pyongyang. It is observed that the Southern Committee strongly suggested Gaeseong as the place, to hold and express the national desire that the Gaeseong Industry Complex, the utmost symbol of the age of 6.15 South-North interchange and cooperation, yet shut-down by the Park Geun-hye regime this February, should be reactivated.
The 6.15 National Joint Committee, through the joint report, also declared, “We have decided that we will try in all directions to actualize various activities of those in religious arena, women, farmers, young people and college students and others to hold historical, cultural, physical, national, educational, academic and media-press joint activities for solidarity and unification on various levels such as by regional institutions in the South and the North.”
The conference report continued, “The Joint Committee will actively strive to terminate the gradually getting-severe military risk and to establish solid and permanent peace system on the Korean Peninsula.” It declared, “The Committee will also propel various actions to exact Japanese imperialists’ apology concerning their past crimes upon the Korean nation such as the so-called comfort women and the forced draft to the Japanese army. It will, too, push ahead diverse actions to obtain every single right for the survival and various national rights of the Korean people residing in Japan.”
It added that the 6.15 National Joint Committee, “as the organization of solidarity including all and every levels and strata of domestic and overseas unification movements, will propel its organizational expansion and its solidarity in every direction, no matter how harsh and painstaking the procedure might be.”
With regard to the joint consent, through its separate report, The 6.15 Southern Committee imparted its meaning, saying, “That we hold the 6.15 Ceremony in Gaeseong this year will make a meaningful landmark to restore the now-shut Gaeseong Industry Complex again as the ground for the South-North reconciliation, peace and prosperity.” It added, “Through various joint events (by various institutions on various levels) such as 8.15 Ceremony and the Workers’ Football Games for Unification to be held in Seoul, the performances of diverse levels of activism striving for the renewal of the South-North relationship will become more vigorous.”
The Southern Committee also stated, “We, despite that the Ministry of Unification had not permitted, did hold this joint chairmen conference only to let it breathe at least a bit, the South-North relationship now on its way just to up against each other, and made a meaningful consent as a clue for the renewal of the South-North relationship. We expect that the government help the Committee, so the consent of the joint conference can have its actual fruits.”
by Kim Dongwon ikaros0704@gmail.net
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