“To be a warm, friendly religion . . . to treat neglected neighbors like my family...Dr. Chang-shik Yang, Chairman of the Unification Movement in Korea”

With the first anniversary of the passing of Unification Church founder, Rev. Sun Myung Moon's, numerous media have published articles relating to his life work. Following his death, many people became interested, asking “What kind of person was Rev. Moon?” and "What will happen to the Unification Church without Rev. Moon?”  I met Dr. Chang-shik Yang, Chairman of the Unification Movement in Korea in Cheongpa-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, at the headquarters of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (the official name of the Unification Church), and we spoke about these topics.

Rev. Moon, leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (hereafter Family Federation or Unification Church) passed away on September 3, 2012 at the age of 92.SNS Services revealed feverish reactions to his death among Koreans, because they were so surprised to see that the international media, including the New York Times, CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, AP, and Yomiuri Shinmun had reported Rev. Moon's death as top headline news.

The Most Important Emerging Religious Activist

“Was he that famous?” This is the question that characterized the "Rediscovery of Sun Myung Moon." At the time of his death, the Korean internet news outlet Money Today published an article on Twitterians' reactions. "Oh, my goodness.  CNN is handling the death of Sun Myung Moon not as a short news item, but with live local coverage;" "In the United States, people do not know the name of South Korea's president, but many of them know Kim Il Sung and Sun Myung Moon;" "The Japanese Twitter trend is also following the death of Sun Myung Moon;" "A Controversial but very Influential Figure;" "Beyond good or bad, the most influential figure Korea produced in the 20th century," and so on. In an interview with foreign news correspondents, Eileen Barker, Professor of Political Economy at the University of London conjectured that Rev. Moon was the most important figure among all of the emerging new religious movements that swept the West in the 1960's and 70's.

We asked Dr. Chang-Sik Yang, Chairman of the Unification Movement in Korea, "What was the funeral like?" He responded, "It was a shock to believers all around the world. We describe death using the term 'Seonghwa', which means going to heaven to live as a divine being. Although we felt regret, we sent him to the next world with a heart of reverence."

According to the Family Federation, the mourning period for Rev. Moon's funeral was held over a 13-day period and the events at the memorial site were transmitted around the world in real time through internet broadcast. The memorial service was attended by 25,000 mourners in Korea, joined by 8.05 million people around the world and a total of 500 billion won in memorial donations was collected. Dr. Yang continued saying that Rev. Moon had been born to a Christian family in Jeongju, Northern Pyeongan Province in what is now North Korea and after studying overseas in Japan, he became a minister. In 1954 in Seoul, he compiled his distinctive doctrine and founded the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity.

-It looks likea very large scale funeral.  How widespread is the influence of the Family Federation today?

"Rev. Dr. Moon began to send missionaries to Japan in 1958, and to the United States in 1959. Currently, there are about 3 million followers in 194 countries. With South Korea, Japan and the United States at the center, the movement's work is primarily focused on 43 countries. Since Korea is the homeland of the faith, the current leader of the movement, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, Rev. Moon's widow, is particularly interested in the growth of the church in Korea."

Second Largest Influence in Japan

-As the founder of the church, it seems that Rev. Moon held a position of absolute influence among his followers. After Rev. Moon's death, was there reduction in activity or in the number of followers?

“I think it's the opposite. It is often the case that the accomplishments of public figures become better known after their death. Rev. Moon’s Seonghwa became an opportunity to establish Rev. Moon’s values, ideal and doctrine.”

In their July 20 issue, the Japanese magazine Shukangedai reported that the Unification Church is the second most influential religion among 260,000 religious organizations in Japan, ranked directly after Soka Gakkai.

Dr. Yang continued, "Christianity and other foreign religions have not been able to take root in Japan, but the Family Federation is an exception.  It is strongly and firmly rooted in Japan, and its influence is expanding in Russia, China and Indonesia, as well as in the Islamic region." In Malaysia, for example, more than 50 members of Congress have actively supported Rev. Moon's ideas and about 20 of these will be visiting Korea to attend to attend a Family Federation event this October.

It is impressive that a religion founded by a Korean became relevant to the Japanese. What do you think is the reason for this?

After World War II, Japan became a highly industrialized society and many Japanese were alienated from society and even now suffer from a poverty of spiritual values. Rev. Moon brought an answer to this problem. It seemed that many Japanese think of Rev. Moon not so much as a Korean but as a life-long friend. Most of Japanese who are attend our church are college graduates and there are many from prestigious universities.

The Unification Church has a complex nature combining business enterprise and religion. The core of the religious sector is the Family Federation and that of the business sector is Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity Operating Foundation (hereafter called Tongil Foundation). After Rev. Moon's death, both sectors have come under the leadership of Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon.

The Tongil Group of businesses managed by the Tongil Foundation includes businesses in a number of sectors, including leisure, manufacturing, construction and media affiliates. These include Sunwon Construction, the Segye Times daily newspaper, Seil Tour and Travel, Shinjung Development, Asia Marine, Yong Pyong Resort, Ilsung Marine, Ilshin Stone, Tongil Sports, JC, TIC and others. These companies have a combined 1.8 trillion won in assets, and annual sales estimated at 600 billion won, based on the 2011 annual report.  Dr. Yang holds the responsibility of coordinating the activities of the Unification Church and the Tongil Group.

In addition, there are a number of education, health care and foreign media organizations connected to the Unification Church, including Sun Moon University, Cheongshim Graduate School of Theology, Cheongshim International Middle and High Schools, Sun Hwa Arts Middle and High Schools, Kyungbok Elementary School, Sunjung Middle School, Cheongshim International Hospital, Cheongshim Village, the University of Bridgeport, the Washington Times and UPI Communications in the USA.

The Unification Church also owns a number of real estate properties both in Korean and abroad. These include the Yoido Park 1 property, the Unification Church headquarters in Yongsan-gu, the Church Headquarters office building in Yongsan-gu, the Dowon Building in Mapo-gu, the Children's Art Troupe site in Seongdong-gu, the Sun Moon University site in Ichon city, Gyeonggi Province, the Heaven and Earth Cheongpyeong Training Center in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, the Unification Church burial ground in Paju, Gyeonggi Province and others. The Church also owns a tract of land in Brazil as large as North Chungcheong Province. Dr. Yang explained that for the Unification Church, actively conducting business activities is one of "Rev. Moon's cherished convictions."

Conscience and Family come First

It is unusual for a religious institution to run many companies.

"Most religions are oriented toward the afterlife, but Rev. Moon firmly believed that 'the Kingdom of Heaven must be built on the earth.' In order to accomplish this, material goods are needed. This makes it necessary to establish a foundation through business. The first industry that Rev. Moon became involved in was the machine tool industry and Tong Il Heavy Industries was established in Chang Won. Technicians who worked here later moved to Hyundai, Samsung and Daewoo and were instrumental in building up the foundation of heavy industries in Korea. Rev. Moon felt that it is necessary for Korea to have 'power.' One of his companies manufactured the Vulcan light artillery cannon and President Jung-Hee Park came to the weapon's test firing."

Is operating larger leisure complexes such as Yong Pyong Resort in Gangwon and The Ocean Resort in Yeosu part of creating 'Heaven on Earth?'

"The last thing a man has to accomplish in his life is pursuing hobbies. Rev. Moon wanted to expand the possibility for people to feel an abundance of time and space in their lives."

-Holding a lot of real estate also attracts attention.

"None of the properties we own are for real estate speculation or investment purposes. Though we buy properties, we seldom sell them. Besides this, all the assets of the Unification Church are publicly registered as church assets. Rev. Moon lived his entire life without owning any property."

I heard that a lot of top international reporters were scouted when the Segye Times was launched.

"We had a big dream when we started that newspaper. We started with a motto of "Love Heaven, Love Humankind, Love the Nation" and goals based on our political strategy for the unification of Korea, a desire to motivate the national spirit and a hope to realize moral doctrine and righteous action. On July 27, our editorial headquarters moved from Gasan-dong to Gwanghwamun.   The reporters are happy with the new location and I think this will bring new life to the paper, as well as help us to regain our original vision."

How did you meet Rev. Moon?

"43 years ago, I was attending high school my hometown of Hampyeong in South Jeolla Province. I was vaguely troubled about such things as “Where do we come from, how should we live, and where are we going?" Then, by chance I heard, “There is a man living in Seoul who has a great vision." During summer vacation, I walked for a week to get to Seoul and met Rev. Moon for the first time.I was moved by what he said and I decided to study philosophy (Korea University) and then I studied theology (New York Theological Seminary Doctorate program)."

What is Rev. Moon’s most noteworthy message for the public?

"Rev. Moon said, 'People live ten months in the womb, 100 years on earth and for eternity after their Seonghwa. Life on earth is a preparation process for the afterlife. Man must live in accordance with his conscience. ’Conscience is the first priority, more than parents and even more than the absolute. The second priority is family. 'Heaven on earth is in the family.' The family is the base of heaven and without family, personal peace, peace in the nation and world peace are not possible. Keeping chastity before marriage and maintaining marital fidelity protects the love and trust between family members and resolves much of the suffering that comes after marriage, making it possible for happiness to come. The Unification Church has spread throughout the world because it promotes the family as universal, as a value at the heart of human life."

Contentions of Heresy

Why do you use the words 'unification' and 'peace' in the name of the church (Family Federation for World Peace and Unification)?

"We pursue the unification of the body and mind as individual unity, unity between family members, unity between North and South Korea, racial unity and unity between religions that are in conflict. In our view, 75% of all religious teachings contain the same information. There is no reason for conflict. Peace is a relationship. We seek to make relationships where we put the other before ourselves--not selfish, but altruistic relationships. We believe that the only way to get to an ideal state where the grand vision of peace can be realized is through 'unity' and 'peace'."

Mr. Yang explained the plans to publish the Cheon Seong Gyeong, Pyeong Hwa Gyeong and Cham Bumo Gyeong based on Rev. Moon’s teaching and said that they will fit our current time better than the Bible.

However, there seem to be a lot of people with a critical view of Rev. Moon.

"In the Bible, we can see that the prophets were often unwelcome in their hometowns. Korea is the country that is the most critical of the Korean Sun Myung Moon. However, Rev. Moon has never had personal ambition or greed. Donations or money coming into businesses were used without hesitation for helping poor neighbors, the work of unification and the settlement of disputes between religions. I think this criticism comes from a lack of understanding. In particular, Rev. Moon has been criticized by Korean Christians."

Controversy: 'The Unification Church is a Heresy'

A Heresy ….

"Yes. There is a lot of debate about heresy. Christianity in South Korea is very conservative. They rejected Confucian culture and put down Korean’s traditional culture as Shamanism. They took the attitude of a conqueror. Conversely, the Unification Church has embraced Western Christianity on South Korean soil. The reason Korean Christians have criticized the Unification Church seems to stem from a desire to protect their vested interests. I think that is much different now."

Rev. Moon exposed his frustration in one of his2009 books, saying “I have pursued only peace during all my life instead of desiring money or fame; but the world has put numerous aliases in front of my name and has rejected me and pelted me with stones . . ."

Critics both in Korean and overseas have described Unification Church teachings as heresy in reference to the teaching that Rev. Moon is placed in a similar position as Jesus Christ as the Savior of mankind (in the terminology of the Unification Church, True Parents).

Soon after the death of Rev. Moon, some foreign media reported."Rev. Moon appointed himself as ‘savior of mankind' at the US Senate in March 2004 and at a banquet in Washington and it was bizarre incident.”Another foreign media source reported that "Rev. Moon is the character who showed that anything is possible in the name of religion.” These articles are written on the basis of the rejection of "Savior Moon." On the other hand, those who believe in the Unification Church outspokenly refer to Rev. Moon as the ‘True Parent.'

Could it be possible that this gap in interpretation is a controversy that belongs to the realm of religious freedom? The camp in favor of the Unification Church will say it will. The evidence is that the doctrine of Unification Church which refers to Rev. Moon as 'True Parents' is currently not illegal in Korea, Japan or the United States. However, the anti-Unification Church side will not concede that this debate belonged to the area of freedom of religion. This is because they feel that referring to Rev. Moon as the Savior is contrary to common sense and is an excessive claim. Chairman Yang stands firm in his belief in 'Rev. Moon as True Parents'. Further conversations with him follow…

Substantial help for North-South dialogue

What is the doctrinal difference between Christianity and the Unification Church?

"Use of the Bible, singing hymns and confessing Jesus Christ as Savior are the same. However, in the history of the providence of God's salvation, Christianity’s focus on the second coming of Jesus is regarded as completion of providence. Rev. Moon asserted that Jesus proclaimed many things but he couldn’t accomplish them all and that Rev. Moon had inherited the missions of Jesus and accomplished them all. That is the difference in the completion of the providence between Christianity and the Unification Church."

Then Jesus and Rev. Moon are the same in rank?

"Jesus came to save the human race, to make them sons and daughters of God. Jesus came to earth in Adam's family and to try to achieve this. But that was not what happened, so he said he is going to come back ... the Unification Church thinks Rev. Moon is the person who took on that mission and took it through its growth, development and completion. In this sense, the Second Coming of Jesus is Rev. Moon, the True Parent, who accomplished the mission for humankind….That is the belief of Unification Church followers. If Jesus were to come, he would do the same as Rev. Moon has done."

Rev. Moon and the Family Federation have actively worked for North Korean business ventures. In 1991, Rev. Moon and Kim Il Sung, the leader of North Korea, held high-level talks and agreed on economic exchange between their two parties. A 70% stake in Pyeonghwa Motors automotive business in the North is owned by the Unification Church and it is the only company that runs automotive production, sales and operations in North Korea.

After the death of Rev. Moon, Kim Jung Un, First Chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea sent a telegram of condolence to Rev. Moon's surviving family. In a similar fashion, Rev. Moon sent Bo Hi Pak, the President of the Segye Times, to make a condolence when Kim Il Sung died. And when Kim Jong Il passed away, he sent HyungJin Moon, the President of the Unification Church, with a condolence delegation.

In relation to promoting President Park Geun-hye’s DMZ Peace Park, Sang-gwon Kim, President of Pyeonghwa Motors, visited the North. He passed the message to North Korean Workers' Party Chief Kim Yang-geon that if the DMZ Peace Park goes well, the Gaeseong Industrial Complex will also go well. Dr. Yang stated that the Unification Church will continue to support reconciliation between the North and South through substantial projects.

What do you think of President Park Geun-hye's DMZ Peace Park Initiative?

"Rev. Moon proposed the construction of a DMZ Peace Park in a speech at the UN General Assembly in June 2000. If it is possible for them to create another park of this kind, the Unification Church will donate land they own in Brazil for that purpose. It was a timely message because President Park also announced her plan to create a Peace Park at the DMZ area."

However, the current state of inter-Korean exchanges is on hold…

"We must have true love for the North Koreans even greater than the love we hold in our heart for our brothers and sisters. Don't you think such an attitude can melt a frozen heart? We have been doing business with the North in order to provide them with practical help. We have tried to open the door to lead North Korea into modern society. For a long time, Rev. Moon has tried to help the North to join the industrialized world. For that purpose, we established Pyeonghwa Motors, the World Peace building and the Pyongyang Botong River Hotel."

Since Dr. Han took overthe church, have any changes been made?

"Rev. Moon was a man with a great vision who developed businesses in many diverse fields and Dr. Han has been watching as Co-President for 50 years. Now she is organizing his large inheritance. She is working on making a road map to move forward and revive Rev. Moon’s vision for next 100 years."

Preventing the collapse of family values

Dr. Yang pointed out the collapse of family values as key among the current problems of Korean society. He emphasized the need for effort to help multicultural families and low-income families and try to prevent the breakup of families. He said that the Wonmo Pyungae Foundation was made to provide scholarships for low-income students with an endowment of 100 billion won, including 50 billion won in memorial donations for Rev. Moon.

He continued, "The Family Federation will work within society, reaching into people's lives and providing help for disadvantaged neighbors, treating them just like family, making every effort to be a warm, friendly religion."

[Korean Website]