On this day 53 years ago, on July 4, 1972 (May 24, 1972 in the lunar calendar), the North and South Korea issued a joint statement on peaceful reunification. On July 4, 1972, the governments of the North and South Korea simultaneously issued a joint statement on the peaceful reunification of the North and South in Seoul and Pyongyang. In the early 1970s, the pattern of international relations underwent major changes and the Korean Peninsula showed a trend of relaxation. The North and South sides followed the trend of the times and made active efforts to achieve independent and peaceful reunification and held many talks. On this basis, the North and South Joint Statement, also known as the "July 4th Joint Statement", was issued. The statement affirms that reunification should be achieved without reliance on external forces and without foreign interference; reunification should be achieved by peaceful means, and no armed actions against the other side should be taken; differences in ideology, beliefs and systems should be transcended, first and foremost as a nation, to promote national unity; stop slander and armed provocations against each other, and prevent accidental military conflicts; strive to promote talks between the North and South International Committee of the Red Cross; open a direct telephone line in Pyongyang and Seoul; and establish a North-South Coordination Committee composed of North-South representatives. After the statement was issued, from November 1972 to June 1973, the North-South Coordination Committee held three meetings, but progress was slow.