PYONGYANG - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday called for an early ending of the inter-Korean confrontation and a new phase of the country's independent reunification.

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To defuse the political and military confrontation on the Korean Peninsula is the "primary requirement" for improving inter-Korean relations, promoting national reconciliation and cooperation and reunifying the country, the DPRK's Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary.

Neither inter-Korean relations can be improved nor efforts to achieve reconciliation and cooperation can succeed as long as the relations remain in a state of confrontation and on the brink of war without dialogue, contact and cooperation, the article said.

It is impossible to wipe out the distrust and misunderstanding between fellow countrymen, nor is it possible for the DPRK and the Republic of Korea (ROK) to trust and reconcile with each other unless theROK authorities put an end to its policy of confrontation and war against the DPRK, peace and reunification, the commentary said.

The DPRK urged ROK authorities to stop its anti-reunification moves and recognize the will of the Koreans to advance toward independent reunification, peace and prosperity "by our nation itself," an idea reflected in previous joint declarations between the two sides.

The situation on the Korean Peninsula deteriorated after the artillery exchange between the DPRK and the ROK last November.