Tongil Group Leaders Visit America

Forty-one leaders of the Tongil Group of Korea arrived in New York on September 19 to learn about the heart and legacy of the founders of their organizations, True Parents. Although these leaders are employees and executives of companies under FFWPU Korea, including Segye Times, Yong Pyeong Resort, and Il Hwa, many of them do not identify as Unificationists. Since last year, Tongil Group leaders have visited America every six months in order to better understand True Parents, and therefore, have a better understanding of the foundation of the company for which they work.

Their educational visit officially began on September 20 with a tour of Belvedere and the Hyo Jeong East Garden Museum, which is filled with historical artifacts of True Parents’ tremendous activities in America.  Mike McDevitt, director of the Hyo Jeong East Garden Museum, greeted the group and led the museum tour, inspiring the leaders as they traced the footsteps of the founders of their organizations.

After the tour, Dr. Ki Hoon Kim, Regional Group Chairman of FFWPU North America delivered a comprehensive presentation regarding True Parents’ religious and business activities in America, conveying True Parents’ mission to bring America and ultimately the world back to God. Dr. Kim also expressed his hope that the group would begin to feel the love and grace of True Parents during their stay in America, encouraging them to bring it back with them to Korea as they continue to work under Unificationist organizations.

Following Dr. Kim’s presentation, everybody enjoyed lunch together. The kitchen staff at the Hyo Jeong East Garden Museum prepared delicious Korean food for the group, in order to offer them a comforting taste of their homeland despite being abroad.

On September 21, they toured the New Yorker Hotel and the Manhattan Center, and they went to Washington, D.C., where they visited the Washington Times and learned more about True Parents’ vision for America and world peace. With a new perspective on the history of their organizations, the Tongil Group leaders headed back to Korea.