For the first time two Koreas celebrate together an anniversary of liberation from Japanese colonial oppression on South Korean soil

For the first time after World War II, South Korea and the People's Democratic Republic of Korea /PDRK/ will celebrate together an anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japanese Empire's colonial oppression.

The two-day celebration, which was launched on Thursday in Seoul and is called the National Unity Congress, is being held with the participation of more than 400 representatives of South Korean public organisations and over 116 of those from the North.

All of them took part in a gala opening ceremony, which took place in the Seoul Sheraton Hotel, of the forum dedicated to the 57th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean people from the Japanese colonial oppression, which lasted for over 35 years.

The North Korean delegation includes the country's prominent men of culture - actors, painters, writers and musicians.

The Congress opened the next day after the three-day inter-Korean negotiations finished in Seoul. This event marked the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue after a nine-month standstill, which was a result of a whole number of incidents, which aggravated bilateral relations.

Last August, 330 representatives of South Korean public organisations visited Pyongyang to take part in a ceremony dedicated to the liberation from the Japanese colonial oppression. This event was spoilt by the fact that when having returned home, a number of South Korean delegates were charged with the violation of the national security law and arrested for the participation in several meetings in Pyongyang.

The Soviet Army liberated Korea from Japanese invaders in August 1945. However, the peninsula was quickly separated along the 38th parallel - the North was controlled by the Soviet Union, the South - by the United States. In 1948, two mutually hostile countries were formed - the PDRK and the Republic of Korea that were waging a fierce war in 1950-1953. The war resulted in a truce agreement. So far, the two countries have not recognised each other.