Korean Classes Offered To Connect LA Community

Countless people have experienced vast changes to everyday life during the Covid-19 pandemic, and social distancing has had a significant impact on many. But Juri Moore, a young Unificationist in California, has taken this opportunity to bring her community together in a new capacity.

A native of Japan, Moore has called Los Angeles home for about a year. In early 2019, she made the international move to be with her husband and start a new chapter in the U.S. But when California was among the first to exact a statewide stay-at-home order in March, it put an abrupt end to all social gatherings. Still, Moore wanted to be able to serve and connect with her community in a meaningful way. 

“I was thinking about what I could do and I thought of teaching Korean classes online,” said Moore. “I went to the General Orientation Program (GOP) in Korea for several years, so I learned the language and all about the culture and community.” Now called the Sunhak Institute of Korean Studies, the program offers an immersive cultural and spiritual experience for students ages 12 to 15. Moore became fluent in Korean during her time there, adding to her native Japanese and conversational English skills.

“People in my community were already telling me they wanted to learn Korean, and initially I was teaching Korean in Japanese,” said Moore. But soon she decided to branch out and offer online Korean classes taught in English to better accommodate her community. “It was hard in the very beginning because English isn’t my first language,” said Moore. 

The virtual classes, held through the Zoom video conferencing website, quickly became a hit over the past few weeks. “My first class had 60 people,” said Moore. “I know there are people who experience some language barriers as couples and within our community, but I think if I keep doing this then maybe I can help them feel more integrated in the community.”

Moore’s students have expressed so much gratitude for her selfless heart and giving spirit. “This is really a wonderful example of community care and going above and beyond,” said Senior Pastor Mark Tengan of the Los Angeles Family Church. “One of my students recently said they were so excited that they could now read one syllable of True Mother’s recent speech,” said Moore. “It’s a small victory like this that gives people so much more motivation and determination to keep learning.” True Parents is an affectionate term for Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon and her late husband Rev. Sun Myung Moon, co-founders of Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU).

“Even one magical moment of connection for people is very meaningful,” added FFWPU-USA President Rev. Demian Dunkley, who said Moore’s class demonstrates a culture of heart that True Parents espouse. “I’m very happy that I can do this for my community,” said Moore.

The online Korean classes are limited to the LA community for now.