UN Cheers South-North Relations

The UN Millennium Summit reconvened at 4 p.m. on September 7 and released a joint statement that voiced support for the South-North declaration that was signed in June as well as for its follow-up measures.

The statement signed by the co-chairs of the summit, Namibia President Nujoma and Finland President Halonen, calls the recent inter-Korean summit and the subsequent June 15 Joint Declaration a giant step closer to peace, stability and reunification on the Korean Peninsula and expresses hopes for continued dialogue in the future.

President Kim Dae-jung gave his keynote address the same day under the theme of the Inter-Korean Summit and peace on the Korean Peninsula. Chong Wa Dae spokesman Park Joon-young pointed out that the issue of the Korean Peninsula was "the only regional issue mentioned at the UN Millennium Summit and that people should focus on the fact that this is the first statement from the UN Summit to welcome the progress in Inter-Korean relations."

by Kim Jin-kook