The Words of Rev. Sun Myung Moon from 1960 |
Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Beginning of the Unification Movement – Pre-1960’s Photos, Timeline, and Testimonies
Curated by Stephen
Stacey
September 13, 2024
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1920 Rev. Moon was born as the second son of Kyung Yu Moon (father) of
the Nam Pyung Moon clan and Kyung Gye Kim (mother)
of the Yeon An Kim clan. |
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Rev. Moon was born on the sixth day of the first lunar month in
1920 in Dokon village in Pyong-An
Province. |
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Father was born in Chonju County. |
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1934 April 1: Transfers
to Osan Private Primary School, third grade Father at around 14 |
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1935 Father at around 16 with Sunday school teacher April 1: Transfers to
Jeongju Public Primary School, fourth grade April 17: Father
receives his call from God on a morning during Easter week. Would he work to
build a world of peace and co-prosperity? |
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Father at Sunday school (Bottom row, third boy from centre) |
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1938 Father (right) around 18 years old. March 25: Graduates from Jeongju Public Primary School April 12: Enters Gyeongseong School of
Commerce and Industry, majoring in electrical engineering |
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1941 True Father around 20 years old. March 8: Graduates from Gyeongseong
School of Commerce and Industry April 1: Father takes the ferry to Shimonoseki to continue studies
in Japan. |
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April: Father enters the Waseda Technical High School affiliated
with Waseda University, Tokyo, majoring in electrical engineering. Here, he starts working on discovering the philosophical and
religious framework that would allow humans to build a culture that would
lead to a world of peace and co-prosperity – which later becomes The Divine
Principle. |
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1943. September 30: Father graduates from the Waseda Technical High
School October: Father returns to Korea after completing studies in Japan |
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1942 - Hak-ja Han – Father’s future wife
(True Mother) – was born 10 Feb - Anju, North Pyeongan
Province. |
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Her father was Seung-woon Han. Her
father was a schoolteacher and an active member of Rev. Yong-do Lee’s New
Jesus Church. |
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Her mother was Soon-ae Hong. She was a Presbyterian when she was
young. Later, however, she became a member of the New Jesus Church, Seong-do
Kim’s Holy Lord Church, and the “Inside the Belly Church” under Heo Ho-bin. |
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1944 Choi Sun-gil is a devout Christian. Rev Moon married her on May 4,
1944, and clearly informed her of his mission to rebuild God’s kingdom. She accepts. She later divorces him due to
his commitment to his mission. |
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1944 October: Father is
detained at the Gyeonggi Provincial Police Station for work in the
underground anti-Japanese movement; endures severe torture |
Kim Baek-moon |
1945 February: Father is released from Gyeonggi Provincial Police Station;
returns to Jeongju to recuperate August 15: Day of Korea’s liberation from Japanese occupation; True
Father begins his public ministry. October:
Father – seeking support for his
divine calling - ministers at Kim
Baek-moon’s Israel Monastery in Sangdo-don |
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1946 Members of Kim Baek-moon’s Israel Monastery March: Kim Baek-moon testifies to True Father: “You are a man with
the mission of King Solomon,” yet he does not support or follow him |
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May 27: God commands Father to go to communist North Korea to
preach his revelation. He departs the same day. June 6: Father arrives in Pyeongyang (known as the Jerusalem of
the East) and goes on to establish his church at Gyeongchang-ri August 11: Father is jailed for religious activities at the Daedong Detention Centre and is tortured November 21: Father is released from the Daedong
Detention Centre. Sung-jin Nim was born – the son of Father and Choi Sun-gil |
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1947 Father’s
43-day spiritual battle in the spirit world; he receives God’s Royal Seal
regarding the truth of the Divine Principle that has been revealed to him. Testimony of
what Father’s pioneer church was like and what happened when he preached:
“You can’t imagine what happened when Father gave a sermon in those days.
People would be caught up in a spiritual fire and receive spiritual messages.
They could be consumed in crying in repentance, and then their sorrow would
be replaced by joy and relief and they would begin
dancing. Those who had some ailment like a stomach malady or backache were
often touched by the spiritual fire, and they would be cured.” Ms. In-ju Kim visited
Father’s church at that time. |
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1948 February 22: Communists detained Father at the Pyeongyang Bureau
of Internal Affairs after complaints from Christian churches. April 7: Father is sentenced to five years in prison for
“disrupting the social order” and transferred to Pyeongyang Prison. May 20: Father is transferred from Pyeongyang Prison to Bongoong Labour Camp June 21: Father is transferred to the Heungnam
Special Labor Camp in Deok-ri, Heungnam.
September 9: Sentence is reduced to three years and four months on the occasion of the anniversary of the establishment of
the North Korean government. His job was to bag toxic fertilizer, which was
then sent to the USSR. |
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Loading fertilizer bags onto a ship bound for the USSR. Many prisoners died from hunger or disease within a year. Mr. Chung Hwa Pak shared
about his time in Heungnam with Father. One of Father’s disciples shares
about what he learned from Father about life in Heungnam. Michael Breen collected information
about Father’s life in Heungnam. |
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1948 Hak-ja Han is given a blessing by the
mother of Heo Ho-bin, founder of the Inside the Womb Church, that she will
become “Heaven’s Bride” She travels south, crosses the 38th parallel, and arrives in South
Korea with her maternal grandmother, Jo Won-mo, and
her mother, Hong Soon-ae (Daemonim). |
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Hak-ja Han was raised in her maternal
grandparents’ home. Her grandfather, Yu-il Hong, was from Namyang, and her
grandmother, Won-mo Cho, was from Yongbyon; both
were devout Christians. |
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1950
June 25: The Korean War breaks out August 1: Heavy bombing of the Heungnam
fertilizer factory; Father calls the prisoners to stay within 12 meters of
him, and those who do so are protected. October 14: Father is freed from Heungnam
Prison. The length of his imprisonment was 2 years, 7 months and 21 days. |
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October 24: Father travels to Pyeongyang and spends 40 days
searching for the members
of his church. December 4: Father leaves Pyeongyang as a refugee, traveling with
his first disciple Kim Won-pil. They also helped
Pak Jeong-hwa escape. He had an injured leg, and
they had to push him on a bicycle. 1951 January 3: Father leaves Seoul to seek refuge ahead of the
advancing Chinese communist army. He journeys from Gyeongju to Busan with Kim
Won-pil, traveling on foot from Gyeongju to Ulsan
and by train from Ulsan to Busan. January 27: Father arrives in Busan, now a giant refugee camp with
many flooding in from the north. |
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Rev. Moon with the first three members of the Unification Movement
- Grandmother Ok Se-hyeon, Grandmother Ji Seung-do,
and Kim Won-pil. Ms Jeong Dal-ok was also one of
the first disciples. They all originally had been members of Kim Baek-moon’s
church. One can read Won-pil Kim’s testimony
about their trip southward. |
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1951
January 31: Father moves in with Aum Duk-mun,
a schoolmate
in Japan, after meeting him on the street. May to August: Lives with Won-pil Kim at
a boarding house at Beomnaetgol, Busan. May 11: Father begins writing Wolli Wonbon
(the first written version of Divine Principle) in Gwejeong-dong,
Busan August: He builds a cardboard and mud hut at Beomnaetgol
near Sujeong Mountain |
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1952 May 10: Father finishes writing Wolli Wonbon,
the first written version of Divine Principle. Father witnesses to new members of his church. Won-pil Kim and Father make money by painting pictures of the
American troops. You can read Won-pil Kim’s testimony
about Father’s pioneering days in Busan here. |
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December 1: Father witnesses to evangelist Ms Kang
Hyeon-sil. |
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The
Rock of Tears in Busan – the first Holy Ground where
Father sheds endless tears in prayer. God hopes his children can live in
peace as one human family, and He suffers intensely because his children so
often behave cruelly towards each other. |
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1953 January: Moves from Beomnaetgol to Sujeong-dong in Busan. July 20: Sends Ms. Kang Hyeon-sil to
Daegu for 40 days of pioneering evangelism.
Father later moves to support her but experiences intense persecution. September 17: Father moves his ministry from Busan to Seoul. He
witnesses to Mr. Eu Hyo-won. December 24: Special 25-day workshop to educate Eu Hyo-won and
others, Yeongdo Island, Busan |
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1954 April 26: Moves to Seoul May 1: Founding of the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification
of World Christianity (HSA-UWC), at 391 Bughak-dong,
Seongdong-gu, Seoul July: Appointment of the church’s first three pastors: Eu Hyo-won
for Seoul, Lee Bong-un for Busan, and Lee Yo-han for Daegu December 31: Founding of the Seonghwa Christian Students
Association with students who had joined his movement. |
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Rev. Moon constantly revealed more of his revelation. Rev. Eu became President of HSA-UWC and would take notes and
update the Principle. You can read Won-pil Kim’s testimony
about the early years of the Seoul church here. David S.C. Kim shares his experience of joining
the movement. He later became the President of the Unification Theological
Seminary in the US. |
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Though physically unwell, Pres. Eu was the prime lecturer, often
lecturing to new guests for up to 18 hours a day. His energy and insights
inspired many to join. Because of serious back pain, he often lectured for
days while lying on his back. Many people found that their long-term illnesses were cured after
listening to the Principle (e.g.,
Mrs. Dae
Wha Chung, who later became Pres. Eu’s wife, had serious health problems
until she heard the Principle. |
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A witnessing leaflet from 1954, written in English, can be seen here. Ms Youn-young Yang, a relative of Mr. Eu, shares her testimony of how she
joined. |
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1955 January 17: Headquarters Church moves to Heungin-dong
in Seongdong-gu, Seoul Seongwha Young
Men's Association is founded. February 22: Founding of the Seonghwa Youth Association March 27: Inaugural edition of Seonghwa magazine March 30: First Divine Principle
examination, Headquarters Church, Seoul April 27: Headquarters Church moves to Jangchung-dong
in Jung-gu, Seoul Hee-jin Nim, father’s second son, was born. |
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At the start of 1955, hundreds of students and several professors
from Ewha Women’s University and Yonsei Men’s University listened to the
Divine Principle. Many were inspired by this revelation and started coming to
the church. |
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Since they were both Christian-run universities, the success of
the witnessing activities caused concern among the university
authorities. |
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The universities forced the students and staff to choose
between their connection with Rev. Moon and their places at the university. |
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Eventually, in June 1955, some were expelled. Yonsei: 1 Professor
and 2 Students; Ewha: 5 Professors and 14 students. Won-chin Hwang, one of the male students, shares his testimony of
joining. He mentions how tearful some of the sermons were. You can read Dae-wha Chong’s testimony. |
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Women from Ewha University singing together. Father named this group the Myung Won group. Myung is from
Father's name and means brightness of the sun and moonlight; won is a circle
and means making the world harmonious and peaceful. |
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Dr. Young-oon Kim. She was a professor at Ewha University. You can
read her testimony of how she met True Father here. |
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Mrs.
Won Pok Choi also worked at Ewha University and was fired for her beliefs.
Behind the scenes she consistently worked to support Father and Mother for
many years. You can read her short testimony here. |
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The Ewha experience stirred up a lot of Christian anger against
Rev. Moon’s young movement. On July 5, 1955, they pushed the authorities to arrest Rev. Moon
on the charge that he had evaded the draft during the Korean War. Father and
four church leaders are imprisoned in Seodaemun Prison awaiting trial. Excerpts from Pres. Eu’s diary from around this time can be found here. |
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September 20: Their trial begins in Seoul District Court, Division
1. |
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They were kept in prison until Oct 3, 1955. |
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They were then found not guilty and released. |
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October 7, 1955: The Headquarters Church moves to its new
headquarters at Cheongpa-dong 1-ga, Seoul. October 23: Father established the Middle and High School Seonghwa
Students Association because many high school students were joining. Won-pil Kim shares
about the church at Cheongpa-dong Mr Jong-yong You shares how he joined. |
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The sign on the door at the headquarters – a very big goal for a
small organization. As Father said several times – he didn’t wish to start another
church – but wished to unite Christian churches around Jesus’ vision to build
one family under God. The constant rejection by Christian leaders to work together for
this larger vision caused Father to go the way of building his own
foundation. |
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1956
March: True Mother meets True Father for the first time. April 10: Mother enters Seongjeong Girls
Middle School, Seoul (later acquired by our educational foundation and
renamed Seonjeong Middle School). |
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October 4: Publication of Holy Songs October 14: Founding of the Seonghwa Adults Association Dr Sang Hun Lee joined.
He later developed Unification Thought – the Divine Principle as a
philosophy. |
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True Father typically preached about his new revelation
passionately until his clothes were wet with sweat. During the services, the Holy Spirit was present, and many felt
called to sacrifice everything to work towards building a world of love and
unity. |
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For many hours, he prayed intensely and shed many tears as he felt
the sadness of Heavenly Father – because humanity struggled to unite as one
loving family under God. |
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1957
July 14: Members fast for 7 days. July 20: The first 40-day summer witnessing condition: 120
locations in 70 cities. As a result, 30 new churches were established. August 15: Publication of Wolli Haeseol
(Explanation of the Divine Principle) Educational seminars were continually held. |
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Witnessing took place in many pioneer cities and villages. Ms. Il-soon Youn shares her pioneering experiences. Testimony
of Ms. Byung-sook Lim “How I joined the church.” Testimony
of Mr. Chung-sik Woo. Testimony
of Ms. Yun Jung-un. She shares how she joined and her experience of being
blessed as part of the 36-couple blessing. |
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Colonel Bo Hi Pak joined
the church. In 1961, he became one of the first missionaries to America. When
Father later moved to the US, he played a major role as Father’s right-hand
man. |
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1958
HSA-UWC consistently grew. September 12: Members are assigned to 120 outreach areas in Seoul
by drawing lots. |
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July 15, 1958, Choi Bong-choon became the first international
missionary for the movement. He went to Japan, a dangerous thing to do due to
the bad relationship between Japan and S. Korea at that time. |
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In the spring of 1953, one of the first disciples of Father, Mrs.
Hyun-sil Kang, had been sent by Father to pioneer
Daegu. This was her church around 1958. |
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Testimony
of Chung-hwan Kwak – how he joined and his future
missions. He eventually became head of the International Missions Department
and thus became the main coordinator for the movement’s wider outreach
activities. |
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1959
January 2: The first missionary was sent to Eugene, Oregon, USA –
Ms Young-oon Kim. January 10, 1959, first nationwide training of preachers. March 7: Founding of the Yeong Seong Choir. By the end of the year, churches increased to 70. |
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Beyond his intense missionary calling and seriousness, True Father
was known to have a wonderful sense of humour and a playful mindset. |
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March 25: Mother graduates from Seongjeong
Girls’ Middle School. – (Middle back row) |
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April: Mother enters Saint Joseph’s Nursing School (middle – front
row) |
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September 18: David S. C. Kim was sent as the second missionary to
the United States |
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October 2, 1959, Choi Bong-choon held his first worship services
in Tokyo. |
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The early church members did many different things to raise money.
Father and Won-pil Kim first raised money by
painting pictures for the American soldiers. Later, members collected and
sold stamps, worked in fields, and much more. |
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1960
Rev. Moon’s 40th birthday celebration |
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March 27: True Parents’ Engagement Ceremony followed by the
Proclamation of Parents’ Day 11th April. Rev Moon married Hak-ja
Han |
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April 11: Distribution of Holy Salt The beginning of the First Seven-Year Course to develop the
movement around the world |
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April 16: the Marriage Blessing of the first 3 couples of the 36 Couples Blessing, Cheongpa-dong
Headquarters Church. Left to right - Eu Hyo-won and So Gil-ja, Kim Won-pil and Dal-ok
Chong, and Kim Young-whi and Dae-wha Chung. You can read Kim Young-whi’s memories of
his blessing here. The building of families “centered on
true love” is central to Father’s vision to the building of a world where
God’s love can dwell. |
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Eu Hyo-won and So Gil-ja |
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Their wedding banquet |
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