REUNIFICATION OF THE KOREAN PENINSULA The KumGangSan International Group Improving the Prospects for Unification --- Hangku-dong area of the city of N ampo. The company also received approval from the South Korean government as a south-north cooperative venture. On February 3rd this year, South and North Korean business associates participated in the groundbreaking ceremony at the con- struction site. Some people are con- cerned about the techno- logical aspects of the project. Regarding this, the managing director said, "It is true that presently the North Koreans have less man- ufacturing, production technology and experi- ence, but all the member companies of the Unifi- cation Foundation have become our supporters TrueParents'speakingtour has left little al Group is presently undertaking is the and we are planning to work together doubt that the issue of Korean unification is Pyeonghwa ("Peace") Motors factory. with those companies. Our partners are central to the providential agenda. In fact, The establishment of Pyeonghwa Tongil Heavy Industries in Korea, the benevolent influence of True Parents has Motors has a very special meaning Mekong Auto Corporation in Vietnam been reaching across the borderfrom the because it is the first cooperative busi- and Fiat in Italy, which already has a South, and elsewhere,for most of the past ness between South and North in the very good relationship with Mekong decade. The following report comesfrom arena of North Korea's key industries. Auto. We have already made a contract two Korean second generation reporters. Cooperative businesses have only been with Fiat to supply prototypes." on the level of primary industry so far, HEKumGangSan International but Pyeonghwa Motors is in the manu- Pyeonghwa Tongil Kyohae Group is located on the 11th £loor facturing industry, and totally different The construction of the Pyeonghwa Tof the Press Center Building next from what has been undertaken so far. ("Peace") Unification Church Hall (Tem- to Seoul's City Hall. We went there to Pyeonghwa Motors made an agree- pie) is an important project being under- meet the managing director, Song Lak ment with the North Korea authorities CONTINUED ON FACING PAGE... Cho. According to his explanation, "All to build an automobile factory in the the business ventures with North Korea that the KumGangSan International This page top, True Group is taking on had their origins in Parents and Sang Kwon the 1991 meeting between True Parents Park discuss the projects -- and Kim 11Sung. What we are doing being undertaken in the are things Premier Kim asked of True North; left, an artistic Father or that they had promised each impression of the other. So, North Korea is actively sup- Unification Temple in portive, and trusts our work." Pyongyang; facing page Pyeonghwa (Peace) Motors bottom, the KumGangSan Group's nameplate at the Automotive Factory entrance to their offices The most prominent of all the pro- in Seoul jects that the KumGangSan Internation- 26 Today's World REUNIFICATION OF THE KOREAN PENINSULA Father Calls Korean National Messiahs to Korea --.- ""C.. ~ - ~ L'-".~r'-' "'" jr' ....~. ~ On approximately March "W ............... 20, True Father directed all Korean national messiahs ~'!~~!.~t~J~~~!.~~il. to return to Korea for a spe- cial workshop, which was , held from March 24-26. I Korean regional church leaders also attended. Father launched a new ini- tiative for the sake of the reunification of Korea, and asked the national messi- ahs to remain in Korea to assist the leaders of society to prepare for and welcome a reunified homeland. ................................................................... CONTINUED FROM FACING PAGE... Jeongju World Peace Park I think that the present cooperation is taken in North Korea this year. Mr. Cho The World Peace Park Project was based upon a promise made between emphasized the providential importance approved by North Korea in 1994.It is Premier Kim II Sung and True Parents. of the project, saying, "So far things have located in Father's hometown of At the same time I could feel a sense only been possible through social and Jeongju, and it will expand from there. of hope. It is the hope for North Korea, cultural approaches, but amazingly, Mr. Cho said, "It is actually a miracle which is untouched by outside influ- there will now be a church." It will be that the house where Father was born is ences, and it is True Parents' homeland. built near the Potong River in the central still standing. When we went there the The projects the KumGangSan Inter- part of Pyongyang. A groundbreaking first time, part of the wall had collapsed national Group is working on seem like ceremony was held in 1997. and we had to repair it." He empha- the story of a far distant reality to those The building has three floors, repre- sized the importance of preserving the of us of the young generation. Howev- senting the three stages of formation, house. Presently, the Jeongju City gov- er, when we think about the fact that growth and completion, and two pillars ernment is maintaining Father's house. our generation will likely be the central in front of the building that represent age group after reunification, we young True Parents. This means that in North Potong River Hotel people should be interested and try to Korea, where God has not been able to The KumGangSan International participate. The current era requires enter freely, there will now be a holy Group has been authorized by the that we do. temple where He can dwell. This North Korean government to build and Through this interview, therefore, we church hall will be used for Unification manage hotels in the Pyongyang and could not only gain information about Church members of the world to gather Kumgangsan areas. It is remarkable the KumGangSan International Group together, to pray, and to hold services that, as a single foreign investor, the projects in North Korea, but also feel when they come on pilgrimages. Kumgangsan Group is running a hotel the possibility of reunification and hope in Pyongyang. The Potong River Hotel, for our northern brothers and sisters.. built in 1974is being managed by Japanese staff who are trained in the Hwa-Sul Kim & Dong-Gyu Kim Western style of hotel management. After about an hour of talking we Translated for Today's World from the moved to see photographs and exhibits. Second Generation Newspaper. As I looked at these materials related "KumGangSan" (literally "Gold River with the ventures in the North, I felt Mountain) is what is known in English as that North Korea is not as foreign as I Diamond Mountain. This is the famously used to suppose. There is an inevitable beautiful North Korean mountain True Par- Kuma.ngSa. bond with the North Koreans. In the ents visited in 1991. Its name was adopted ~ A d ~"~$.;~ G~ <,."~r ~':> same way we attend True Parents they by the KumGangSan International Group. ~: serve Kim II Sung and Kim Jong II with .~.j even deeper sincerity and heart. It hum- [Edited for Today's World] bled me. It is especially humbling when March 2000 27.