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UPF Invited to Report on Founders Visit to North Korea
Written by Maria Nazarova, president, UPF-Russia
Sunday, April 11, 2021
Moscow, Russia—On the occasion of a birthday celebration for North Korean founding President Kim Il-sung, a UPF leader was asked to describe the 1991 meeting of the UPF founders with Chairman Kim.
On April 11, 2021, a joint event of the International Union of Public Organizations of Koreans Bomminryon (IUPOK Bomminryon) and the International Group of Solidarity with the DPRK (IGS DPRK) took place.
The meeting was dedicated to the celebration of the Day of the Sun—the birthday of Kim Il-sung (1912-1994)—as well as the second anniversary of the meeting of the leaders of Russia and the DPRK, and the International Day of Human Space Flight.
Konstantin Krylov, UPF-Eurasia secretary general, was invited to the program to speak about the December 1991 meeting in North Korea of the UPF founders, Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and his wife, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, with Chairman Kim. This year marks the 30th anniversary of that meeting.
Mr. Krylov read from Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon’s memoir about their visit to the DPRK: “On the sixth day [of our visit], Chairman Kim sent two helicopters to take us to Chongju, Father Moon's hometown. As Chairman Kim had instructed, highway crews had newly paved the little road to my husband’s boyhood home, set up dignified tombstones and planted turf at the graves of his parents. They had even painted and decorated the house where Father Moon was born and spread sand on the earthen floor and yard. We visited his parents’ tombs and offered flowers.”
Mr. Krylov stressed that these words clearly show how Chairman Kim Il-sung treated the man who was considered the enemy of communism.
He continued reading from Dr. Moon’s autobiography: “It was on the seventh day that we finally met Chairman Kim. As we entered the Chairman’s white-stone official residence in Majeon, Hamgyongnam Province, he was waiting for us. Without regard to protocol, my husband greeted Chairman Kim as if they were old friends, and Chairman Kim reciprocated, and we all took a deep breath as the two joyfully embraced each other. Chairman Kim, seeing me in a traditional Korean dress, politely gave his welcome."
Mr. Krylov mentioned that a few weeks after this meeting, a joint declaration on denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula was signed when a delegation from North Korea led by Prime Minister Yong Hyong-muk arrived in Seoul. He also mentioned that the Pyeonghwa Motors plant, the Potong hotel in Pyongyang, and the World Peace Center in Pyongyang were built with funds from the Unification Movement.
At the end of his speech, Konstantin Krylov presented copies of Rev. and Mrs. Moon’s autobiographies to Dr. Felix Kim, the president of IUPOK Bomminryon and the host of the event.
When Dr. Kim took the floor after Mr. Krylov's speech, he said: “I studied the works of Kim Il-sung a lot. One day, I found his reference to Reverend Moon. When Reverend Moon met Chairman Kim, some of his assistants approached him to say that Reverend Moon was a religious leader, and it would not be recommendable for Chairman Kim to deal with him and he should forbid his activities in the DPRK.
“However, Chairman Kim explained to them that Reverend Moon was a great person. He devoted his life and his Unification Church to pray for the reunification of the Korean Peninsula. How could one forbid the activity of the church and Reverend Moon who pray like this?”
Then Dr. Felix Kim said: “Chairman Kim and Reverend Moon are the greatest sons of Korea. I forever remember Mrs. Moon inviting me to his funeral in 2012. At that time, Kim Jong-il, the leader of DPRK, sent his condolences to this great family. We must respect Dr. and Mrs. Moon and support them.”
About 25 people attended the event. Among them were:
♦ Dr. Felix Kim, chairman of Kothonryon of Russia, president of the International Union of Public Organizations of Koreans for Promoting the Peaceful Unification of Korea Bomminryon, and a professor
♦ Vladimir Nogai, member of the board of IUPOK Bomminryon, and a professor
♦ Andrey Shin, executive secretary of IUPOK Bomminryon, editor-in-chief of the Russian information service "Korean Radio"
♦ Margarita Kuryleva, executive secretary of the Society for Friendship and Cultural Cooperation of Russia and the DPRK
♦ Alexander Mostov, chairman of the Committee of Heads of the International Group of Solidarity with the DPRK
♦ Fyodor Sagayda, counselor for internal affairs of the Russian Executive Committee of the IGS DPRK
♦ Jizheng Li, head of the Chinese Executive Committee of the IGS DPRK
♦ Peifei Qi, member of the Chinese executive committee of the IGS DPRK
♦ Zhaoyu Wang, Chinese activist of the IGS DPRK
♦ Anton Andreevich Simakov, secretary of the primary department of the Volunteer Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Navy of Russia and head of the military-industrial complex named after Joseph Stalin
♦ Nikita Dobrov, member of the bureau of the St. Petersburg branch of the all-Russian public youth organization of the Leninsky Komsomol of the Russian Federation
and other members of public organizations.
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