Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, widow of the Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon [1920-2012], is the co-founder of the Universal Peace Federation. Together with her husband, she has devoted her life to peace, founding many organizations and initiatives in a wide range of fields.
Childhood and Family Life
Hak Ja Han was born in the village of Sinli in the Anju District, now in North Korea, on January 6 (lunar), 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 Dr. Moon was five years old, she and her mother were arrested by Communist police and jailed for 11 days.
After their release, Hak Ja Han, 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 she was reared in a religious environment.
The family later moved to Choon Chun, where Hak Ja Han's uncle was living, and she soon graduated from elementary school in that city. During this period, she, along with her mother, joined the newly formed Unification Church. Five years after joining, on April 11, 1960, the young Hak Ja Han married the church's founder, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon. She stands as co-founder of the Unification Church, now known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. Since the passing of her husband, she has taken full responsibility for the affairs of the worldwide movement she has established along with her husband.
Devoted Wife, Mother, and Grandmother
Dr. 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
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. Dr. 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.[Right: Marriage Blessing at RFK Stadium, Washington, DC]
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. Dr. 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, Dr. 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). She 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 Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. This extraordinary event, which took place in the Kremlin on their 30th wedding anniversary, April 11, 1990, initiated an educational exchange, which has been developing ever since.
Then, in December of 1991, Dr. Moon put her life on the line when she and her husband traveled to North Korea to meet with President Kim Il Sung for the purpose of uniting the two Koreas. That meeting has led to 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, Dr. Moon, together with her husband, founded the Women's Federation for World Peace (WFWP). Dr. Moon is the International Chairwoman. 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.
[Above left: Dr. Moon speaks in the Tokyo Dome and right: United Nations.]
In July of 1993, after speaking throughout America, Dr. Moon's tour culminated with addresses on the US Capitol Hill and at the United Nations, delivering a message of peace and interreligious reconciliation.
Universal Peace Federation: Leading the Way for Peace, Development and the Renewal of the United Nations
Dr. Moon, following in her late husband’s footsteps, is proposing a revitalized, renewed United Nations with the help of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), with more than 50,000 diplomats, clergy, civic leaders, current and former heads of state appointed as Ambassadors for Peace. Among the prominent initiatives of the UPF is the Middle East Peace Initiative. Thousands of religious leaders have journeyed to Israel and Palestine to urge the children of Abraham to unite in peace. UPF has also been active in disaster relief after Hurricane Katrina struck the US in 2005 and the tsunami that struck northern Japan in 2011. Its educational programs combat the spread of HIV/AIDS and encourage youth to work for peace through sports and community service.Following the inauguration of UPF in 2005, Dr. Moon accompanied her husband on a historic world tour to 100 international cities in 100 days. The following year she led a 120-city world speaking tour accompanied by their children, their spouses and their adult grandchildren and spouses who also served as speakers.
After her husband's passing, Dr. Moon has taken over the leadership of the organizations she and her husband founded.