2006
Universal Peace Federation
Mrs. Hak Ja Han Moon has dedicated her life to the quest for peace. Together with her husband, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, she works with heads of state, Nobel Peace prizewinners, religious leaders, and internationally renowned artists to bring about a future world of peace.
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 calendar), 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 Mrs. 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 Rev. 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 more than 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
Marriage Blessing at RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
The heart and soul of Rev. and Mrs. Moon’s lifelong ministry is the re-establishment of God’s ideal of the family as the foundation for harmonious societies and the cornerstone of world peace. The Marriage Blessing movement, which began with the marriage of three couples in 1960, has reached millions of couples worldwide. Mrs. Moon and her husband presided over the marriage blessings in Washington, DC's RFK stadium in 1997, in Madison Square Garden in 1998 and in Seoul's Olympic Stadium and other venues in successive years ever since.
A Woman of International Peace and Good Will
In 1968, the Rev. 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 complements her husband's challenging vision.
Through addressing informal gatherings of women at these activities, Mrs. 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). Mrs. 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
The following year, Rev. and Mrs. Moon met with Mikhail Gorbachev in Moscow. This extraordinary event, which took place in the Kremlin on April 11, 1990, initiated an educational exchange which has been developing ever since.
Then, in December of 1991, Mrs. Moon 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 the Tokyo Dome, Japan
The Women's Federation was officially inaugurated on April 10, 1992, when, despite inclement weather, 150,000 women from 72 countries gathered at Seoul Olympic Stadium. Following this international rally, Mrs. Moon spoke in cities and towns throughout Korea. That fall, speaking in Japanese, Mrs. Moon addressed a rally of 50,000 women in the Tokyo Dome. Subsequently, she delivered speeches to large audiences in Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Sendai, and Sapporo. Later that year, Mrs. Moon continued her worldwide campaign with an eight-city tour of America in eight consecutive days.
Following her U.S. tour, Mrs. Moon spoke in eight more cities in Germany, Great Britain, France, 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 the United Nations
In July 1993, after speaking throughout America, Mrs. Moon's tour culminated with addresses on Capitol Hill and at the United Nations, delivering a message of peace and religious reconciliation. While crisscrossing the continent, she was welcomed by hundreds of public officials from Maine to Hawaii, including 35 governors, 131 mayors, 25 US senators, and hundreds of prominent citizens and organizations.
Leaders who praised the tour included Ms. Maureen Reagan, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Dr. Cecil Murray, and Rev. 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 Bill 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 during a conference at the United Nations. H.E. 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
Today, Mrs. Moon and her husband, the Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, are proposing a revitalized, renewed United Nations with the help of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), with thousands of diplomats, clergy, civic leaders, and current and former heads of state appointed as Ambassadors for Peace. Among the prominent current initiatives of the UPF is the Middle East Peace Initiative. Thousands of religious leaders have journeyed to Israel and the Palestinian Territories to urge the children of Abraham to unite in peace. The UPF was been active in disaster relief after Hurricane Katrina. It is fighting against the spread of AIDS and encouraging youth to work for peace through sports and community service.
A Sportswoman and Patron of the Arts
Mrs. 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, DC, which trains young dancers in the Russian style with masters from the Kirov Ballet of St. Petersburg. Dancers from the school won an unprecedented number of gold medals in international competitions. 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
In 2005, Mrs. Moon accompanied her husband on a historic world tour to 100 international cities in 100 days. In the following years, Mrs. Moon led worldwide speaking tours accompanied by their children, their spouses and their adult grandchildren and spouses who also served as speakers. During these tours, Mrs. Moon met with numerous heads of state, including the President of India.
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, USA, and Argentina’s La Plata University; she was awarded the Medal of Brazil from that country's Ministry of Education.