Christopher Davies
March 17, 2008
Hyo Jin Moon, the eldest son of Reverend and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon, founders of the Universal Peace Federation, died of a heart attack on March 17th in Seoul, Korea.
He was born December 3, 1962 in Korea, but grew up in the USA, his parents having based themselves in the New York area.
For many years he ran Manhattan Center Studios, a state-of-the-art multimedia facility in New York City, favored by leading musicians and orchestras both for recording and televised events. He was also the founder of MC Korea and MC Japan.
The 45-year-old Korean worked for 10 years (1985-94) as the first president of the World Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (World CARP). During his presidency, one of the defining moments was the 1987 4th World CARP Convention in Berlin. Hyo Jin Moon led 1,000 students on a memorable march to the Berlin Wall, where he delivered a stirring speech, calling on Mr. Gorbachev to be a righteous man and tear down the wall.
Hyo Jin Moon was an inspirational musician, performer and multimedia executive producer. An intensely passionate singer and lead guitarist, who found Korean more expressive than English, he produced over a dozen CD's and created a catalog of thousands of compositions. He continued to perform in live concert tours in Asia each spring up until his passing.
He was also dedicated to media and charitable projects aimed at creating a positive influence on the culture, especially for young people and families.
In 2006, he traveled to Africa together with his mother, Hak Ja Han Moon, where he delivered public addresses in several nations as part of a 180-city world peace tour.
He regularly spoke at early morning Sunday meetings in upstate New York, drawing many by his very down to earth reflections of life, including his experiences of dealing with racial and religious prejudice and the challenge of emulating his parents, whom he clearly adored. His last speech before leaving for a business trip to Korea was on March 9, his topic "Commitment": "life is about learning something and it is short; how do I get better? Following the basics; doing the basics, doing what is right, no other way."
He leaves his wife, Yun Ah Choi, and four children as well as five children from a previous marriage.