A joint unification festival in Pyongyang marking the seventh anniversary of the inter-Korean summit of 2000 has kicked off its second day Friday.

Some 750 people from the two Koreas and abroad are scheduled to participate in a rally for unity Friday before announcing a statement on solidarity.

On the first day of the event Thursday, the two Koreas celebrated the significance of the June 15th joint statement that drew worldwide attention seven years ago.

In the opening ceremony of the festival, the Vice President of the North’s parliament Kim Yong-dae called on the two Koreas to display the vitality of the Korean people’s ideology, which stands firm in face of any hardship.

The South’s chief delegate to the event, Paik Nak-chung, meanwhile, said the two Koreas have opened a new chapter in national unity since the 2000 summit.

The South Korean delegation also attended celebratory performances and toured around major sites in the North on Thursday.

No current government officials were included in the South Korean delegation in the wake of a dispute over a move by the North to link its nuclear issues with Seoul’s plans to provide rice aid to Pyongyang.