Civic groups from the two Koreas ended a three-day meeting Saturday with an agreement to hold joint celebrations for the 5th anniversary of the June 2000 inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang.

In a joint statement released after the meeting, the two sides also agreed to jointly celebrate the 60th anniversary of the nation's liberation from Japan's colonial rule on August 15th in Seoul.

The statement said that in addition to the two events, both sides agreed to hold a variety of other festive events involving various walks of life to promote reconciliation and unification throughout the year.

The meeting also launched a South-North joint committee which will oversee the series of celebratory and festive events.

On June 15th, 2000, then South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il met in a historic summit meeting and issued a joint declaration committing both sides to working toward reconciliation, cooperation and eventual unification.