In June 2000 Chairman Kim Jong Il of the DPRK National Defence Commission and President Kim Dae Jung of south Korea met in Pyongyang and adopted the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration.
Before drinking a toast at a banquet in congratulation of the publication of the joint declaration, Kim Jong Il said that the historic declaration was at last adopted and made public and that everyone present at the banquet should bottom up the glasses of wine in their hands lest the ink marked on the declaration was diluted. Kim Dae Jung and his entourage who had drunken half emptied their glasses with a smile.
The Chairman’s words bore the deep meaning that the declaration should be implemented to the letter come what may, and manifested his firm will to achieve national reunification at the earliest date possible.
