Both Koreas Exchanged 6.15 Celebrating Messages

Both Koreas exchanged, in the form of the telephone notice at Panmunjom, the 1st anniversary messages to celebrate the 6.15 Joint Declaration.

The South sent the phone-letter by the name of `the Chief Delegate of the South Delegation to the South-North Minister Level Meeting` and proposed the 2nd inter-Korean summit soon, saying ``both Koreas have improved the credibility to each other. Let us together make greater efforts to preserve the peaceful coexistence of both Koreas and to improve the exchange and cooperation and let us prepare for the reunification that is the most greatest task of the nation.``

The North also transmitted a message by the name of the Head of the North delegation to the South-North High-Level Negotiations, which reads, ``the North-South Joint Declaration is the common milestone to light up the path of the whole nation in the 21st century.`` And the North emphasized, ``based on the spirit of the Joint Declaration, both Koreas have to make great efforts to improve the inter-Korean relationship suitable for the national will and interest, by thoroughly opposing the outer interruptions to the internal matters of the nation.``

The North also added, ``we truly hope the South will keep steps with us.``

Assistant unification minister Rhee Bong-Jo analyzed, ``the North Korean emphasis on the implement of the Joint Declaration might imply the resumption of the Ministerial level meeting.``

Both Koreas sent the letters not by the personal names rather by the official titles of `Chief Delegate` and `Head of the Delegation.` Until the 4th minister level meeting of last December, the delegates were then Unification Minister Park Jae-Kyu from the South and Senior Cabinet Councilor Jon Kum-Jin from the North.

Kim Young-Sik spear@donga.com