In a move toward establishing a pan-national unified state within the start of few years of the new millennium, Koreans at home and abroad are planning to hold grand pro-reunification events as a pan-Korean reunification festival at Panmunjom marking Korea's day of liberation from the Japanese colonial rule.

Pomminryun (Pan-National Alliance for the Reunification of the Fatherland) issued a communique on Jul. 12 to hold the '99 Grand Pro-Reunification Festival and the 10th Pan-National Rally for Independence and Great Unity of the Nation, while forming a joint preparatory committee for the festival.

The festival is planned to embrace a broader range of people not only grass-root level people but also those from political and social organs at home and abroad.

In the past nine years, Seoul has prohibited south Korea's progressive civic groups to attend the pan-national gala. Last year, Pyongyang proposed Seoul to have a joint commemoration, but it was turned down by Seoul, which banned Pomminryun to participate in the event.

According to the official Korean Central News Agency, the communique announced as follows;

1. The pan-national reunification festival will be held with the cooperation of regional headquarters of Pomminryun (Pan-National Alliance for the Reunification of the Fatherland) from the north, south and overseas.

2. The festival will be held from August 13 to 16.

3. The festival will be held as a joint event of Koreans from the north, south and overseas at Panmunjom and regional events in respective areas.

4. The theme of the festival is "independence and great national unity of the nation."

The keynote of the festival is; to set national independence as the fundamental principle of the reunification of Korea; to set great national unity as the fundamental guarantee for national reunification; and to struggle to found a unified state in the first few years of the 21st century.

5. The joint event is to include an opening function, a meeting to vow the great unity of the entire nation, a joint meeting of Koreans from the north, south and abroad for independence and great unity of the nation, a pro-reunification art festival, the '99 Pan-National Rally for peace and reunification of the fatherland, events of Pomchonghakryun (the National Alliance of Youth and Students for the Country's Reunification, concert, photo and art exhibition, joint gatherings of delegates from the north, south and overseas, etc.

6. On the occasion of the 10th Pan-National Rally, the joint preparatory committee will award the north, south and overseas representative committees of Pomminryun for their contribution to the organization and the reunification movement.