Chapter 2 The Unification Movement in Korea

1978 - The Realization of the Kingdom of Heaven through the public Course

During his God's Day message on the subject of "The Public Course for the Realization of the Kingdom of Heaven," given early on God's Day morning. Reverend Moon stated that the realization of the Kongdom of Heaven is possible only through a public course of love. He then wrote, in Chinese calligraphy, Advance and Leap Forward.

The Korean church operated somewhat quietly during the first half of 1978, but activities increased during the latter half, beginning with the Supra-denominational Christian Association's first international conference on July 5. Following Reverend Moon's return to Korea on September 25, various events, including the engagement for the Blessing, were held. If the first half was the time period during which the black shadow of persecution of the Unification Church was dispelled, then the latter half could be considered the time period to begin again, and when the power of the Advance and Leap Forward" began to manifest.

Church president Young-whi Kim announced four important points for a life of faith-prayer, repentance, self-reliance and harmony and embarked on a tour of the church districts from January 26 to May 21. In the meantime, from February 13 the International One World Crusade began to leave Korea, having completed their overseas mission. Those remaining undertook a forty-three day special witnessing condition from April 16, following the pattern being set in Japan and the United States.

When the hearings of the House Subcommittee kon International Organizations on the case of the Unification Church, much talked-about since 1977, began on March 22, they developed into an attack and defense battle between Congressman Donald Fraser and Col. Bo-hi Pak representing the Unification Church. It reached the point where Fraser's political maneuvering came to nothing as his hidden motives were exposed to the public eye. The second hearing was on April 11, the third on April 22, and the fourth kon June 20. Ultimately, that Fraser had used the activities of the Unification Church and Reverend Moon as a means through which to achieve personal political ambitions was exposed, and Fraser himself was in fact the one whose motivation was found impure. Eventually Donald Fraser was defeated by Bob Short, a Republican candidate, by virtue of God's will, on September 12, and this defeat resulted in Fraser's withdrawal from the political arena.

The black cloud of the "II Hwa Incident," which had hung over the church and cast a shadow on its mission work, dissipated when the not guilty verdict was handed down on May 30.

All these difficulties stemmed from having relaxed internally, rarely finding the momentum of the glorious triumphs and intense concentration of 1976, and can be considered as the hardships which appear according to the principle of "suffering follows blessing." The church members had their own difficulties, but in addition the Christian churches and certain political groups were persecuting the church. By mid-1978, however, these problems had disappeared for the time being.

The largest international conference since the establishment of the Korean Supra-denominational Christian Association was held at the Ambassador Hotel for five days from July 5, with Korean, Japanese, and American representatives participating. In this first International Conference of the Supra-denominational Christian Association, there were presentations on set themes, and a speaking tour followed, beginning July 10.

While Reverend Moon, who had resided in the United States since March, 1976, two-and-a-half years since he had last left Korea, arrived  in England on May 13 to stand on the front-line of European mission work. He led the One World Crusade for four months and presided over the 118-couples Blessing Ceremony in London on May 21.

After presiding over an international engagement ceremony on September 14, Reverend Moon left Britain on September 19 and arrived in Japan at five o'clock in the afternoon of September 20. There, he set a miraculous record by presiding over the engagement of 1,610 couples, following which he returned to Korea on the afternoon of September 25.

At the ceremony to welcome him back to Korea, Reverend Moon proposed and initiated the "Home Church" movement in Korea as the concrete road to the realization of the Kongdom of Heaven, and asked members to participate from October 1. He earnestly requested that members over the age of eighteen become involved in  this movement, and that members set up principle by which to operate. Each individual or family was to take responsibility for 360 families, and each was to become a tribal messiah by fulfilling this responsibility and inheriting the victorious foundation accomplished by Reverend Moon on the worldwide level. Reverend Moon revealed that the Home Church movement was for the substantial realization of the Kongdom of Heaven; by the same token, by succeeding in Home Church activities one could simultaneously accomplish such goals as inheriting Reverend Moon's worldwide foundation, completing restoration through indemnity, fulfilling the tribal messiah mission, and establishing the base for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Reverend Moon gave the following directions on September 25 at a Korean leaders meeting: Historical introspection; Establishment of subjectivity; Establishment of a spiritual tradition; Replacement of the entire nation with the Unification Church movement; Home Church movement. On October 14, he presided over a commemorative service for his release from Hungnam Prison, at Mt. Cheonseong at Chungpyung (two thousand attended.) On October 19, he delivered a speech under the title "May the Fatherland Shine Forth" at a banquet for dignitaries from various fields held at the Chosun Hotel, sponsored by the Korean Community Development Research Center. He further toured to each region and held meetings from October 28 to November  1.

Reverend Moon presided over the engagement of 609 couples from October 30 to November 3, and attended the opening ceremony for Pom II Chun (the museum commemorating Reverend Moon's time in Pusan in the early 1950s) at Pomnetkol in Pusan on October 29. He toured and inspected church-related companies from October 25 to 30 (members leading businesses around the world, including eighty from Japan, were in attendance). He presided over the Blessing Ceremony of 213 married couples and single persons on November 10 to attend the International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences from November 24 to 26.

The largest event of 1978 was the Seventh International Conference on the Unity of the Science, held in Boston. Five hundred eminent scholars from fifty-seven nations participated.

Training for the wives of church leaders was held over four days from December 13.

In the meantime, there was an event in which one Mr. Myung-hi Kim, who had been married as part of the 430 couples, left the church, and, supported by such professional anti-Unification Church campaigners as Sa-hun Shin, spread various groundless rumors and defiled the reputation of the church through intimidation and harassment. In early August, the church submitted a formal complaint to the police. As a result, Mr. Kim was formally charged on September 4 and was subject to numerous court appearances. This was one apostate's plan to push the  church into a corner by exaggerating its weaknesses, and became the representative case of the difficulties the early church experienced.

Five hundred sixteen  engaged women participated in 21-day training from November 25 to December 15, and were assigned to the various districts to begin witnessing activity from December 18.

The church also faced difficulties in America due to the kidnapping of church members, and because of a tendency among the public to identify the  Unification Church with the People's Temple in Guyana which had staged a mass suicide.

The FBI, yielding to the demands of the religiously prejudiced,  investigated the charges of brainwashing. Deputy Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti, a spokesman for the Federal Justice Department, made the following public statement on November 24:

"It has been our experience that members of these religious sects are apparently competent, consenting adults.  

Neither this investigation nor any other has found that the Unification Church or its members have done anything wrong."

Notable events this year included:

February 10: International VOC Rally.

October: First World Media Conference.

November 2: Celebration of Tongil Hae Won Sik (Unification Ceremony for the    Dissolution of Resentment.)