North Korea says this year may provide a dramatic breakthrough in efforts to unify the two Koreas, citing this year's marking of the fifth anniversary of the June 15th North-South Joint Declaration.

The Korean Central Broadcasting Station in Pyongyang said Sunday that the June 15th Joint Declaration would eventually open a "new morning of unification" independently from outside forces.

The broadcasts said that if South and North Korea thoroughly implement the joint declaration, an epoch-making event would unfold in terms of unification. It also asserted that inter-Korean relations had witnessed closer harmony and stronger cooperation following the signing of the joint declaration.