Biography of Mrs. Hak Ja Han Moon
Childhood and Family Life
Mrs. Moon was born in the village of Sinli in the Anju District, now called North Korea, on January 6, (lunar), 1943. Her mother, Mrs. Hong, was an earnest Christian and her father was a disciple of a famous preacher, Rev. Young Do Lee. The North Korean Communists persecuted their family and in 1948, when Mrs. Moon was 5 years old, she and her mother were arrested by Communist police and jailed for 11 days. After their release, Mrs. Moon, her mother and her grandmother fled their village in the middle of the night. They went to Taegu where they lived through the Korean War and where Dr. Moon was reared in a religious environment.
The family later moved to Choon Chun, where Mrs. Moon's uncle was living, and she soon graduated from elementary school in that city. During this period, Mrs. Moon, along with her mother, joined the newly formed Unification Church. Five years after joining, on April 11, 1960, the young Mrs.. Moon married the church's founder, the Reverend Sun Myung Moon. She stands as co-founder of the Unification Church, equal in stature to her husband.
Devoted Wife, Mother and Grandmother
Mrs. Moon is a devoted wife, the mother of 14 children and the grandmother of 40 grandchildren. She is known for her extraordinary compassion, capability, grace and charm. Above all, she is exemplary as a woman who has a created a God-centered marriage and family of three generations.
Leadership to Strengthen Families
Blessing at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
A Woman of International Peace and Good Will
In 1968, the Reverend Moon established the Professors World Peace Academy in Korea, and in 1972 the first International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences was held. These and similar organizations have attracted the participation of scholars, scientists and leaders in the fields of religion, the media, government and the arts, including numerous Nobel Laureates. Mrs. Moon played a crucial role in all of these developments, where her compassionate friendship completes her husband's challenging vision.
Through addressing informal gatherings of women at these activities, Dr. Moon began to make her appearance in the public sphere. Her speeches included the Address to the Women of the World Media Conference (October 1981) and the Address to the Women of the International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences (November 1981). Dr. Moon moved forward on the world stage for the promotion of God-centered values in 1989 when the Soviet media interviewed her. Her interview appeared in the Religion and Society section of Za Rubezhom (June 12, 1989).
Meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union and President Kim Il Sung in North Korea
Then, in December of 1991, Mrs. Moon put her life on the line when she and her husband traveled to North Korea to meet with President Kim Il Sung for the purpose of uniting the two Koreas. That meeting also has led to many ongoing projects to facilitate the peaceful union of the North and South Korea.
International President of the Women's Federation for World Peace
In 1992, Mrs. Moon, together with her husband, founded the Women's Federation for World Peace (WFWP). Mrs. Moon was named its International President. She invested all her energy into developing a global base for the new organization, giving the Federation's inaugural speech in 113 cities in 12 countries and in three different languages within an eight-month period. This impressive accomplishment was surpassed in 1993, during which she spoke in 43 nations and in all 50 of the United States.
Mrs. Moon speaks in Tokyo Dome, Japan
Following her U. S. tour, Mrs. Moon spoke in eight more cities in Germany, Great Britain, France, and Italy and finally in Moscow. She also visited the Pacific Rim, where she spoke in Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines before addressing 200 leaders of the Women's Federation of China (no relationship to WFWP) at Beijing's Great Hall of the People.
Mrs. Moon speaks in United Nations
Leaders who praised the tour included Ms. Maureen Reagan, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Dr. Cecil Murray and Reverend Jerry Falwell. A call for the declaration of National Parents Day was entered into the Congressional Record in both the US Senate and House, and the California State Senate issued a Certificate of Recognition. President Clinton signed into law a bill authorizing the last Sunday in July be recognized as, "National Parents Day". In dozens of states and cities, the day of her speech was declared the "National Parents Day", the "Day of Women and World Peace", or "Hak Ja Han Moon Day".
Senator Orrin Hatch introduced her to the audience of US Senators, Congressmen, their aides and other dignitaries on Capitol Hill in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The culmination of the American tour came when Mrs. Moon spoke to Ambassadors, counselors, attachés, and UN representatives and other prominent guests in Conference at the United Nations. His Excellency Stoyan Ganev, President of the United Nations General Assembly, introduced her. Ambassadors from 67 nations were in attendance with nearly 100 nations represented in total.
Leading the Way for the Renewal of the United Nations
A Sportswoman and Patron of the Arts
Dr. Moon shares with her husband a great love of the outdoors. Fishing is one of their favorite pastimes and she has caught trophy-size fish the world over. She was also instrumental in the creation of the Deer Park Equestrian Center in upstate New York, which boasts one of America's finest arenas for equestrian competitions.
Mrs. Moon and her husband are lovers and patrons of the arts. Several decades ago they founded the Little Angels Performing Arts School in Seoul, Korea. Its ballet corps, called the Little Angels Children's Folk Ballet, has performed before world leaders and royalty.
She and her husband are also patrons of the New York City Symphony, which the New York Daily News acclaimed as "one of America's finest orchestras."
Mrs. Moon and her husband founded the Universal Ballet Academy in Washington, D.C., which trains young dancers in the Russian style with masters from the Kirov Ballet of St. Petersburg. Dancers from the school recently won an unprecedented number of gold medals in international competition. The Universal Ballet Company, which they founded, is now a preeminent classical troupe.
Mrs. Moon Leads Three Generations of the Moon Family on a World Speaking Tours for Peace to 120 Countries
International Honors and Awards
Mrs. Moon is the recipient of many international honors and awards. For her humanitarian work and for her contribution to world peace, she has received honorary doctorates from institutions such as Bloomfield College in New Jersey and Argentina’s La Plata University and the Medal of Brazil from that country's Ministry of Education.
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