KIM IL SUNG
LET THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH
OPEN THE WAY TO PEACE
AND THE REUNIFICATION OF THE
COUNTRY IN A UNITED EFFORT
Talk
to the Delegates to the North-South High
Level Negotiations from Both Sides
February 20, 1992
I am
glad today to meet you, the delegates of the
two sides, who have successfully concluded
the sixth north-south high-level talks.
I am
satisfied with and highly praise the joint
efforts you have made for the “Agreement on
Reconciliation, Nonaggression, Cooperation
and Exchange between the North and the
South” and the “Joint Declaration on the
Denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula”
which have been effected at this time.
The
effectuation of these documents is an
epoch-making event and a landmark on the way
to realizing peace and the reunification of
the country.
With
the north-south agreement and the joint
declaration, the north and the south can
break with their past of distrust and
confrontation and make a fresh advance
towards reconciliation; further, they are
able to eliminate the danger of war and look
forward to a bright future of peace and the
peaceful reunification of the country.
The
agreement of the north and the south to
reconcile themselves and cooperate with each
other and to advance towards reunification
has proved irrefutably that neither outside
forces nor differences in ideology and
system can divide our nation of one and the
same blood that has existed for thousands of
years.
All
the Korean compatriots in the north and the
south as well as abroad actively support and
warmly welcome the success in your talks,
regarding it as the common success of the
nation and as a historic victory for the
national ideal.
With
the current sixth north-south high-level
talks as the impetus, our fellow countrymen
have taken an extremely important first step
towards the independent and peaceful
reunification of the country. This advance
should not be stopped and should not falter;
it must continue until reunification.
To
this end, the stand of independence should
be maintained above all else.
The
division of our country caused by outside
forces should on all accounts be ended
through the efforts of our nation itself.
If
one side depends on foreign forces and
tolerates foreign interference at a time
when the country is divided into the north
and the south, it can be viewed as a
confrontational attitude, not as an
attitude for reunification. Such a
confrontational attitude will make it
impossible to implement the north-south
agreements properly and difficult to conduct
dialogue responsibly and based on mutual
trust. Now that the two sides have agreed on
reconciliation, they must discard the idea
of confrontation, trust their fellow
countrymen and rely on the national force
for independence instead of depending on
foreign forces.
The
north and the south must also direct primary
attention to achieving peace and adopt
practical measures for ensuring peace in the
country.
Since
they have reached an agreement on
nonaggression, the north and the south must
stop their arms race and realize
disarmament. Herein lies the surest guarantee for
nonaggression and also the way completely to
remove the fear of northward or “southward”
invasion. There is no need for foreign
troops to be in our country, nor is there
any reason for foreign military bases to be
maintained here. We consider that it is high
time for us to reach a decision on this
matter.
The
nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula should
also be resolved.
We
cannot know whether there are still nuclear
weapons in south Korea or whether they have all
been withdrawn. So we, who have been exposed
to a nuclear threat for more than 30 years,
are still gravely concerned.
As
for us, as we have already said on numerous
occasions, we are not producing nuclear
weapons, nor do we have any need to do so,
and we do not possess any. We have no
intention of entering into a nuclear
confrontation with the neighbouring major powers and, moreover, we
cannot conceive of developing nuclear
weapons which can exterminate part of our
own nation. No one should doubt this.
Promoting
the great unity of the nation is the basic
spirit of the north-south agreement.
If
the north and the south are to become
reconciled and achieve reunification, they
should bring about great national unity,
transcending the differences in ideas and
systems.
Opposing
each other and regarding the other as a
pariah because of differences in ideologies
and ideals only produces national
disruption. Every Korean should put the
common interest of his nation to the fore,
subordinate everything to it and unite on
the basis of patriotism and the spirit of
national independence.
We
should destroy the barriers in ideology and
system and enforce the policies of great
national unity and of love for the country
and the nation.
The
agreements which have become effective at
the sixth north-south high-level talks are a
pledge made by the authorities of the north
and the south before the nation.
The
Government of our Republic regards these
historic agreements as precious results of
our efforts to achieve the independent and
peaceful reunification of our country and
will make every effort to implement them.
We
are convinced that if the north and the
south build up mutual confidence by working
on details, adhering to the principles of
independence, peaceful reunification and
great national unity, they will be able to
give our people greater pleasure in the
future and achieve without fail the
reunification of the country in the ’90s,
which the entire nation desires.
In
conclusion, I express my hope that the north
and the south will make joint efforts to
open up the way to peace and the
reunification of the country further, and I
wish the delegates of the two sides greater success in the future.