Sun Pyo Hong
August 1, 2012
Letter to the Leaders and Members of the Unificationist Community
I am truly sorry to our leaders and members of the Unification family, who I'm sure are shocked at hearing the results of the second trial regarding the Yoido World Headquarters.
I am also sorry for not being able to offer a victory report to True Parents, who are waiting for the return of the holy ground, and who personally intervened in the matter of having the Yoido holy ground brought back to what was originally intended by proclaiming their stern instructions through a declaration.
The Yoido holy land was protected by True Parents through their devotion. It was not preserved in this way in order to build a financial hub or for the purpose of making gains through development. It was certainly not for the purpose of receiving rent on the land for 99 years. Forty years ago, True Parents already foresaw that the Unification Church would spread to the world, and from that time on described their vision for building a World Headquarters. This is the holy ground which they visited to offer prayer and devotion upon their return to Korea from their travels abroad. This they never failed to do even once. It was on this foundation that the construction permit was received and the Ground-breaking Ceremony for the World Headquarters could be held in April 2007. At the end of this ceremony, following everyone's three cheers of eok-mansei, True Father personally called out, "Eok-mansei for the Peace UN Headquarters." True Parents have established the Abel UN and laid its global foundation as part of their efforts in renewing the United Nations, and more recently in July this year, they inaugurated the "Abel Women UN."
It was True Parents' ideal and our dream to hang the banner of the "Unification Church World Headquarters" and "Abel Peace UN Headquarters" on the 72-story building in Yoido and build a Unification Church landmark that we can proudly present to the world as a symbol of peace far greater than the UN Headquarters building in Manhattan.
During the Ground-breaking Ceremony of the World Headquarters, Chung Hwan Kwak, the former chairman of the Foundation, reported that all the buildings on the Yoido holy land would be managed under a lease structure rather than being sold. He used the word 'lease' eleven times in this report and even went so far as to name the rental agencies that would be retained (for the shopping center he named Cushman and Wakefield; for the offices he named Jones Lang LaSalle).
Furthermore, the former chairman mentioned at the ground-breaking ceremony that they would reach break-even point no less than ten years after the completion of construction. At Foundation board meetings and on other occasions he continuously stated that the buildings would be returned after seventeen years or any time earlier than that if Father so desired. These words by the former chairman Chung Hwan Kwak, who was in charge of the Yoido project, and the report he gave at the ground- breaking ceremony represented the true intentions of this project rather than the clauses in the contract, and we all believed in these words until now.
However, it was revealed that in 2010 former chairman Chung Hwan Kwak and Y22 had decided to sell the 72-story and 54-story buildings, and had entered into a sales contract with Macquarie Securities for the 72-story building, while Mirae Asset Securities had obtained board approval for purchasing the 54- story building. Former chairman Chung Hwan Kwak repelled questions and even a reasonable request for information by the Foundation directors, and went so far as to intimidate the Foundation by taking advantage of his monopoly of information. If the Foundation had not actively addressed this problem at that time, it would not be the subject of a court case; rather we would have completely lost the chance to fulfill our dream for the World Headquarters no matter what action we might have taken at this time. The shameless response by former chairman Chung Hwan Kwak and defendant Y22 to the suit speaks all too clearly of this.
During the proceedings of the second trial, we had former chairman Chung Hwan Kwak take the stand at the trial in order to reveal the true nature and truth about the Yoido project. However, he abandoned even his most obvious ethical duty of speaking in the interest of the Foundation as its former chairman and instead spoke in the interest of the opposite party. The former chairman who had testified before us that True Parents are the "living God," falsely testified of things that True Parents had never said. (To this, the Foundation filed a complaint of perjury.)
Around the end of the June 22 pleadings, the defendants submitted, in Hyun Jin Nim's name, a false written statement that was different from what True Parents said in East Garden in April 2006. They recklessly made emotional statements that distorted the essence of the case, saying that this case was a struggle between brothers over assets and that chairman Kook Jin Moon, who coveted the gains to be made through the development, was trying to steal it.
Aside from the Declaration by True Parents, True Parents submitted their own affidavit to the court to once again clarify the providential significance of the Yoido Project. Chairman Kook Jin Moon volunteered to appear at court and did so while appealing to the judges to discern the truth and to whom the Yoido Project should justly belong. We made every effort to reveal the truth by presenting much evidence and logic in response to the judgment at the first trial.
In addition to these efforts, in order to give an opportunity for former chairman Chung Hwan Kwak and others to implement the Declaration by True Parents, the Foundation had tendered a settlement offer stating that it was willing to cover for all expenses incurred for the Yoido project if the project was returned according to the True Parents' Declaration. However, the other party completely ignored this. Despite all these efforts, former chairman Chung Hwan Kwak and Y22 deceived the courts with their bizarre expressions and lies, which brought about this unfortunate result whereby the truth was once again concealed and justice was unable to see the light.
In response to this, and according to True Parents direction and a resolution made at the Foundation board meeting, the Foundation has decided to immediately appeal to the Supreme Court. We are convinced that the legal principles and claims that our counsel, consisting of the highest authority of legal experts in Korea, presented at trial will be fully accepted by the Supreme Court.
Many of our members and leaders have also expressed great concern regarding the other party's suit claiming damages. In the first trial, the plaintiff (Foundation) and defendant (Y22) was viewed in a relationship of having differing purposes and interests; however, in the second trial regarding the superficies rights, it was proved that both the plaintiff and defendant were all under True Parents' wing, sharing the same interest. Therefore, we will make sure to prevail in this suit by raising these facts and making use of all legal mechanisms.
Leaders and members of the Unification family,
The other party has been disposing of public assets which were built through the blood, sweat and devotion of True Parents, without True Parents' approval, and had attempted to sell the surface buildings of Yoido. Once again I emphasize that we can fulfill the dream for the "World Headquarters" and "Abel Peace UN Headquarters" only if the superficies rights and surface buildings are not sold. The Foundation is engaged in this difficult and arduous battle of cancelling the registration of the superficies rights in order to preserve the public assets of the Unification Family and to uphold the will of our leaders and members to defend the Yoido holy ground to the death.
As it was in heaven's providence of restoration, following the way of the heavenly law is the way of restoring to Heaven's side what was lost through Satan's trickery. According to these teachings of True Parents, we believe in the truth of succeeding at the third attempt, and by arming ourselves with that strength which True Parents have preserved with devotion for some forty years, we will usher in the day where True Parents' vision for a Peace UN Headquarters and the dream of all our leaders and members throughout the world can be realized.
I sincerely thank all leaders and members worldwide for their support to this day and request for your further interest and prayer regarding this matter. Thank you.
Sun Pyo Hong
Secretary General
6.14 by the heavenly calendar in the 3rd year of Cheon-gi (August 1, 2012)
Tongil Foundation