November 2011
Kook Jin nim during the interview in his office
Question: You've been giving these "Strong Korea?" talks for more than a year now, not just to our members but to people in society in Korea and in Japan. How do you see this in relation to the overall providence?
It's very interesting if you listen to what Father has said. U.S. power has preserved peace in Asia. America has been protecting the Free World, the Christian world. But the age has changed and Father is assigning providential titles to these countries, such as saying God's providential Fatherland is Korea, the motherland is Japan, and America has been in the eldest son's position. But now you see America -- as Father recently is making these announcements about Korea being God's fatherland -- going down. In effect, the world's security umbrella, which was being preserved by one nation, a strong America, now has a big question mark over it. For example, for some time now, America has been drawing down its forces in Korea. The number of troops has dropped over the years. They used to keep nuclear weapons here; they don't anymore.'- The amount of military equipment they keep stationed in Korea has been reduced every year. America has been retreating from Korea. That's a fact.
From a practical point of view you have to ask the question, How will world security, or world peace be maintained? The striking thing you'll find is that what Father has been saying is the formula by which world peace can be maintained. Because as U.S. military and economic power decline, world peace can no longer be maintained by one country. It has to be maintained by a group of countries who share common values having both understanding and love for all humanity.
It's significant that Father has made it very clear that the mission of the messiah is not just an individual mission. He comes to fulfill the four-position foundation on the family level as well. Similarly, at this time when we approach D-Day, world peace can't be secured any longer by one nation. It requires a father nation, a mother nation and a child nation to work together centered on God in order to create the power structure necessary for the preservation of world peace.
When we come to an understanding in this context -- in the context of the Principle and of the Messiah's mission -- you see that at the world level you have this four-position foundation. Moreover, unless that four-position foundation centered on God stands strong, there is a severe danger that we may not be able to fulfill our responsibility and keep peace in the world. That's the main point. You can see the Principle working in a very substantial way. If these conditions are not satisfied, there are consequences.
Question: So the Korean military has to become stronger.
If Korea is not strong, it will be in a very difficult position to maintain peace. Unfortunately, in the real world, peace is not maintained by weakness; it's maintained by strength. In order for peace to occur, there has to be a balance of power. If there is one nation that is trying to upset that balance of power and is very aggressive and there isn't a countervailing power, the unfortunate reality of history is often war.
At the Hannam-dong residence with True Father, November 9, 2011
Question: Like at the beginning of the Second World War.
And the First. There are some unfortunate consequences to an imbalance of power. If you look at history, it's not power parity that creates war; it's power disparity. When one side feels that it has enough power to take advantage of the other side you have war, more often than when both sides are strong. When you get a power balance, you actually have peace. And the problem now is that we are going from a situation of power balance to one of imbalance. This is the real danger, the real practical danger. But, you can look at it from the providential point of view and what Father has been saying and you see this convergence. For example, Father saying that Korea is the fatherland; Japan has to fulfill the responsibility of the motherland and centered on the eldest son, these two establish a structure that gives the chance for peace.
Question: Are you presenting "Strong Korea?" to civic groups because this is a providential mission from True Parents, or is it based on your knowledge of the Principle and of Korea's role in the world?
Father has made many statements about the time that is coming. If you read what Father's said after the fall of the Berlin Wall, sometime after communism had collapsed, you'll find he said that communism is still a problem, and in the future, there will be a big problem centered on China.
Question: Father does still mention communism as if it's a continuing reality. On Geomun Island; he predicted that something quite dire could happen in the near future on a global scale.
In the near future, the population could be reduced by 50 percent or more. Father has been making many predictions. When we look at the Principle and it talks about the necessity of the third world war, no one wants to think about that because we know how devastating it would be. It does not say in the Principle that it will be only an ideological war. That's more the hope or the wish of [Divine Principle] lecturers.
Question: You talk about American isolationism, nevertheless, the war in Afghanistan has now passed Vietnam as the longest war that the U.S. has been involved in.
America wants to retreat from having to be the world's policeman. They really do not want to pay for the world's security anymore. This is true. But it seems as if history moves in accordance with the providential trend. In the past, it was okay for America to be the dominant nation but as the providence changes and you have the establishment of the father and mother nations, those nations now have providential responsibility. In that context, with the emergence of the mother and father nations, you can't have one power dominating the world. This is a danger, because Father has made this announcement, the providence is moving and history must move in the same direction.
Kook Jin nim and Ji Ye nim singing at an outdoor lunch True Parents hosted for leaders of providential organizations in Korea, September 1
Question: So there is a certain imbalance in military contribution between Korea, Japan and the United States.
Providentially, the father nation should be a nation that can take care of all the nations of the world. But now it's weak. If it wants to take care of other nations, it has to be strong -- the mother nation too. If you look geopolitically, this makes sense. In order to preserve peace in Asia, Korea and Japan are strategic countries. If you look at China's history, it has always been an aggressive, expansionist power. Either it expands by conquering people or it collapses. In times when China can be contained, peace can be achieved, but the only time you can contain China is when Korea and Japan are strong. Now, if Korea and Japan can be united -- husband and wife, father and mother can become one -- together their strength with America is sufficient to contain the expansionism of China.
And if Chinese expansionism can be contained, peace can be achieved, but that's not going to be done through weakness. You know, Cain tends to be more aggressive, more opportunistic. So, if Abel becomes weak, he goes, Okay, so that guy's a bit weak, so I can kill him and take everything he has. This is exactly what happened in the Garden of Eden. Why did Cain kill Abel? Because he could.
Father has said that the Cain-type world, Satan's world, is now centered clearly on China.
Question: You mentioned containing China, but in the end if the mission of the Messiah and those who follow him is to save the world, we have to save Cain.
Sure! That's the way to save Cain, by containing him, preventing him from killing Abel.
Question: From a position of strength.
It's very simple when you look at the Principle, at what happened in the family unit multiplied to the entire world. When you want to know what the world has to do in the process of wanting to restore itself, you need to condense it back into the family -- the family of Adam and Eve and Cain, Abel, and Seth. It's very clear. Abel was more God-centered. He was a good guy. He's peace loving; he loves other people. He prays a lot, so he doesn't get much exercise. Cain is more opportunistic. He's running around, hunting and catching animals. So, he's big and strong and he knows how to throw a rock. He sees that God loves Abel a bit more, and He keeps on blessing Abel. He gets a bit jealous and he thinks, hey if that guy wasn't here, I'd be getting everything. Maybe I'll just kill him. And he does. Then, we have this terrible history of restoration, the suffering of humanity for the last six thousand biblical years. This is the problem. But what if while Abel is doing all that good stuff -- praying, receiving God's blessing -- Abel spends some designing and developing a gun. This time, when Cain comes to kill him, he takes out his gun and he says, don't move or I'll shoot you. Then, what happens? Cain's not stupid. He says, Okay,
I see that gun; I'm not that dumb. He backs down. They both live. Since they're both alive, now the opportunity for dialog exists, because Cain understands the strength and power of Abel -- that he can't take advantage of him. That's the grounds on which they can set the foundation for the coming of the Messiah and restoration can be completed in that generation, in that family.
Question: How can we as, church members, respond to your presentations? What can we do to influence others?
One person can do a lot more than they think if they work sincerely for the sake of this providence. You've got to believe that if you start acting, doing what you can, God and the spirit world are going to help you. If you think you're just a member by yourself who can't do anything, then nothing gets done.
Question: That is a remarkable aspect of the Strong Korea speaking tour. You're advocating changes in the Korean government's foreign relations.
Not only in the Korean government's foreign relations, but in its military and domestic policy.
Kook Jin nim has taken his "Strong Korea?" message to the public. Here, he presents to local leaders of society in the city of Kimhae
Question: I understand Japan has been beefing up its military for quite a while and is worried about China.
We want Korea to enter into a defense alliance with Japan, for Japan and Korea to "get married." That's what Father says and that's what the Principle says.
Question: When you met the Korean defense minister in July, how did he respond?
When I sat down with the minister of defense, he was very positive. Actually, the defense minister is starting to try to take some steps in that direction, but of course if they could move more quickly, it would better for the country.
Question: It must be difficult because Korea still has the memory of Imperialist Japan.
Yeah, that's a problem. Korea always remembers Imperialist Japan, but actually China invaded Korea sixty years ago during the Korean War. This was more recent than Japan's colonization of Korea. The reason Korea is divided today is because of the Chinese invasion of North Korea. General MacArthur beat the North Korean Army. He drove them right up to the Yalu River;? Korea was unified. It was the Chinese invasion that actually divided the country.
Question: Koreans don't seem to have focused on that.
The reason sin dominates the world is because Abel is such a nice guy. He becomes weak and puts Cain in the position of opportunity where he can sin and take advantage of weakness. Don't you want to create the ideal world? Then, the good guy has to be strong. This is where we go wrong all the time.
Question: We are too idealistic. Too unrealistic.
It's not an issue of idealism. You've got to understand that everything in the world is not independent of the spirit world. There is a spiritual battle between God's side and Satan's side every day. Evil spirits, Cain, try to influence Abel to become weak. Unfortunately, many good people are influenced by spiritual power. And even though they love God and want to serve God, they unfortunately serve Satan's will. That's why the road of good intentions leads to hell.
I think we have to get the word out that because of America's weakness, world peace cannot be maintained by America alone. We need the other nations of the world to carry their weight, in collective security arrangements. We've got to get realistic. We can't have peace unless the good people are stronger than those who want to do evil. It takes two to make peace; it only takes one to make war.
Question: So, is the "Strong Korea?" presentation you're giving aimed at changing public opinion?
Well, we have to do our responsibility before God. Otherwise, there are consequences. My hope is that we'll avoid the consequences of not fulfilling our responsibility toward God.
Question: People for the most part don't feel there is much they can do about their government. Yet you are going around and speaking to sometimes small groups, or to our church members; you're continually speaking, pushing forward.
What choice do I have? There are things that need to be done. If somebody doesn't get up and do it, we know for sure what will happen. We won't fulfill our responsibility. You know when I was assigned to this job in Korea, this was not a job I asked for or even wanted. And every job I've done since I came here has been pretty near impossible. I mean, how many years had our group here been losing money? Forty, fifty years. Just look at the [Segye Times] newspaper -- twenty-two years of continuous losses.
Even Yongpyong Resort: before we bought it, Ssangyong held it for forty years, always losing money. Il Hwa too. In less than two years, we pretty much solved most of the problems. And within three or four, all the rest were headed in the direction to make a profit.
We had some major setbacks along the way. Like the landslide at Yongpyong, which did millions of dollars in damage, and still we were able to recover.
The Korean church for the last twenty years has been in decline. In less than two and a half years, it's completely resurrected. We're at a historical high in terms of Sunday service attendance and registered membership. All the work of the media, working with government ministers, ministerial level diplomats; and the persecution of our members in Japan -- we're out to solve that problem too. We're actually having to fight the national government to save our church. Yeah, if you think about it, what can one person do? What kind of idiot am I to have taken on these problems, which had not been solved in forty years? If you put it in man's hands, it's not going to get done, so you might as well put it in God's hands.
Question: Hyung Jin nim once said in a sermon that if you're 70 percent sure about doing something, you should go ahead.
Well, I think God has a plan for everybody and everything, and the best way to live your life is not to fight His plan, to go with the flow. That's the problem for many people is that they fight God's plan, and they always struggle.
Question: Do you have a particular way that you discern God's voice in your life?
I just do my job, and what happens happens. We all follow True Father, and if you believe True Father is the Messiah, of course God has a plan for the Messiah. We can do only do our best to serve God's plan in the best way we know how.
Question: You recently visited a company that makes military vehicles. Do you plan to go into something to do with the defense industry?
Oh, absolutely. If we can help in the defense of the nation, for God's will and to make this a strong country, I think it's our responsibility to do so. Every Korean, everyone who believes in God and every Christian should be doing what he can do to make Christianity and the free world strong so that we can defend this world against atheism and Satan.
Question: I know a Korean non-member who said he didn't know Father as a religious figure but as a great patriot, because at a time when the U.S. Army said Korean companies shouldn't make a particular machine gun (implying they were incapable) Father had Tongil Heavy Industries make it.
Yeah, we made the Vulcan cannon.` We actually started with air rifles. Then the M1 carbine. We've made the Vulcan cannon, the 400 mm cannon; Father did a lot to establish the defense industry in Korea. The technology, the machining and metal-working skills that Father was able to nurture through our companies were actually the foundation for the manufacturing strength of Korea today.
Question: That's how this man saw Father as well. Well, Father is doing what God has directed him to do....
God has a different plan for everybody's life. You need to figure out God's plan in your life and find the way to go along with that plan harmoniously. Because that's the thing about life: if God has a plan for you and you don't like the way His plan is running, and you just get mad about it, it's not going to change God's plan, it's just going to mean that you're going to be very frustrated. But if you can just accept what happens and the plan for what it is and be grateful for whatever happens, you might not be successful but at least you won't be frustrated. And in your gratitude, you may actually find a way to be happy.
Question: It would be great if you could come to Cheon Bok Gung more often to give a sermon!
I have no desire to be a minister who gives sermons. It was never one of my ambitions in life. Actually, I don't even like talking, or giving public speeches. But it seems that I've been doing quite a lot of it. That's the point. Sometimes, God's plan requires you to do things you don't like. What are you going to do, grouch about it? Just do it. [Kook Jin nim laughs.] You're not going to win anyway. Go ahead, go fight God; see who wins. I mean, at some point, you have to be practical.