Chapter 2 The Unification Movement in Korea

1989 - The Unification of Korea

"The bloody 43-year course to take control over our lost history, which began from this position of an orphan and came to establish the authority of a prince of heaven, has already ended."

"Until now, the reason I have fought centered on America was for the  sake of worldwide total indemnity. Standing in such a position, establishing the victorious standard based upon the course of struggle centered on four presidential terms, I returned to Korea this time by bringing worldwide fortune to Korea and accomplishing the unification of North and South Korea in order to determine the great mission to establish the fatherland of faith, the original homeland God desires."

In his speech, Reverend Moon stated that ?˜our time' had come, centered on the year 1989. He mentioned that now Unificationists carried the necessary authority, the era during which they could facilitate the unfolding of the world's destiny had dawned. Finally, he prayed that Korea, as the subject nation in Asia, would walk a path without shame for the coming four years until 1992.

The year 1989 was the founding year of the Unified World. This was the first year after passing through the period of slavery, when some members returned to their hometown province in order to carry out the mission of restoring their tribe.

At the beginning of 1989, Holy Blessing were held on three consecutive days. The Holy Wedding of Kook-jin Moon, fourth son of Reverend Moon, and Soon-ju Eu, first daughter of Jung-ok Eu, took place, in grand style, at the Little Angels Performing Arts Center on January 10 with two thousand well-wishers in attendance. The following day, on January 11, the Second Generation 72-couple Blessing took place at the same venue. Finally, on January 12, the 1,275-couple International Holy Wedding of brides and bridegrooms from eighty-seven nation was held at the special wedding hall at the II Hwa Training Center in Yongin. The Blessing of members from some eighty nation under the motto The Unification of Korea constituted the family-level foundation for a unified world.

On February 1, following a time of preparation, the Segye Ilbo (Segye Times) published its first issue amid the great interest and high expectations of all citizens (Publisher: Chung-hwan Kwak). Its goal was to became a newspaper with a conscientious approach, reporting national and worldwide information swiftly and accurately.

The II Hwa Cheon-ma ("Heavenly Horse") Soccer Team was established. The Il Hwa Soccer Team was formed to contribute not only to advances in physical education, but also to mutual cooperation between citizens through sports, and to provide them with a means for the balanced use of spare time. It has furthermore contributed to the solidarity and unity of the Tong-Il Group.

On June 23, Reverend Moon was set up as chairman of the Association to Discover Family Roots ("Root-finding Association"). Eight hundred participants, representing the 274 clans in Korea, gathered at the Little Angels Performing Arts Center, attended by thirty participants twelve representatives of the church who are attending reverend and Mrs. Moon, and twelve representatives from the clans.

Reverend Moon, celebrating the Day of Total Victory on August 20 in the United States, declared that the Age of the Ae-Won Providence, when the providence of restoration had been concluded and one could receive God's love directly, had arrived under the theme "The Completion of the Providence of Restoration and the Age of the Ae-won Providence."

On August 31, Reverend Moon performed Pal Chong Shik (The Ceremony of the Settlement of Eight Stages) in Kodiak, Alaska and, on September 1, he declared the era of the ideology of Cheon Pu ( "Heavenly Father"). Pal Chong Shik as the ceremony marking the process of restoration through eight vertical steps of indemnity (servant of servants, servant, adopted child, illegitimate child, child,  mother, father, God) coupled with the process of restoration through eight horizontal steps of indemnity (individual, family, tribe, race, nation, world, cosmos, God). Thereafter, Abel, by restoring the birth right of the firstborn, and attending the Heavenly Parents, entered into the era of the ideology of the Heavenly Father (Cheon Pu Ju-eui), the era when God, represented by the True Parents, takes direct dominion over the world through love.

The first streaks of daylight of the opening of the Soviet system began to appear in 1989. Novoe Vremya (New Era), the Communist Party's ideological weekly magazine, surprised the nation with a friendly gesture towards Reverend Moon, introducing him in an article, The way to eliminate an enemy...Reverend Moon from a new perspective, as an "extraordinary person of versatility in many different fields". The Soviet authorities had sent two representatives to the World Media Conference in Washington DC in the spring of 1988, and had made the decision to hold such a conference in Moscow in April 1990.

The Sung Hwa Seminary was elevated to a four-year regular university and renamed Sung Hwa University, with Sewon Yoon appointed as president, on October 27. It was to enroll 520 students studying in thirteen departments, an increase of ten departments over the 1991 term.

Mrs. Soon-ae Hong, mother of Mrs. Hak Ja Han Moon, passed away according to a call from Heaven at the age of 76, at 9:53 in the evening of November 3, at the Shinmunro official residence (110-43 Nesu-dong, Chongro-gu, Seoul) while Mrs. Moon was praying and looking after her. The Wonjeon Ceremony at the Wonjeon in Paju was attended by Reverend and Mrs. Moon and 1,200 core members. Reverend Moon wrote in Chinese calligraphy, "Loyal Heart, Life of Dedication" and bestowed on her the title of Dae Mo Nim ("Great Mother").