July 22, 2010
Dear Unification Church Members:
On July 16 an unsigned open letter from “UCI” [Unification Church International] went out to all Unification Church members in an attempt to shift blame and seize the moral high ground in advance of their possible closure or sale of The Washington Times. As a result, we are taking this unusual step of setting the record straight so that all church members will understand the wishes of the Founder.
The letter begins by accusing Kook Jin Nim of cutting funding to the newspaper “in direct defiance to the founder’s wishes.” In fact enough funds were made available in August 2009 for UCI to support The Times operations for several months. However, contrary to expectations, most of those funds were not used for The Times operations. When objections were raised, UCI said it needed to set aside money for shut-down costs. These actions by UCI caused a loss of trust with investors and supporters, who discontinued further funding.
It is not only in financial matters that UCI chairman Hyun Jin Nim stands in defiance of our Founder. In August 2009, Hyun Jin Nim refused to relinquish his chairmanship of the UCI board and wrongfully removed two independent directors from the UCI board (Douglas D.M. Joo and Peter Kim) in order to prevent scrutiny over misconduct uncovered at that time at UCI, and to gain full control of UCI assets, and use them for Hyun Jin Nim’s projects, all against the Founder’s wishes.
Further, despite the Founder’s request that Hyun Jin Nim spend a year working alongside him to fully understand his wishes, Hyun Jin Nim has refused to do so. Hyun Jin Nim has also refused to cease his self-proclaimed providential activities such as the Global Peace Festivals conducted in direct disobedience to the Founder. Instead, he has been actively promoting the illusion that he is cooperating with the Founder and preserving True Parents’ legacy.
By early 2010, Hyun Jin Nim added Jinman Kwak and Youngjun Kim to the UCI board without the Founder’s approval (making three out of five UCI board members of Chung Hwan Kwak’s family). In May 2010, UCI amended its Articles, removing any references supporting the Unification Churches and promotion of the Divine Principle, as well as distancing UCI and its assets from the Founder, and also from you, dedicated Unification Church members. The “UCI” name is now just the three letters and does not stand for Unification Church International. Furthermore, the Articles were amended in order to allow UCI assets to be used as donations to Hyun Jin Nim’s own foreign activities such as the Global Peace Festivals, again in defiance of the Founder.
More than the misuse of funds, it is ultimately Hyun Jin Nim’s failure to follow the Founder’s direction and desires that made it impossible for even the most well-intentioned investors to continue financial support. The letter from “UCI” is disingenuous start to finish, designed to shift blame from “UCI” management for the destruction they have caused to The Washington Times, including damage to its good name and its public value as a defender of freedom, faith, family and service. “UCI” must not close or sell the newspaper in which the Founder has invested his heart and soul.
Ultimately, our faith tells us there are solutions that can be effected amicably among people of good will. Rather than UCI trying to blame others for the paper’s financial problems, UCI should simply return The Times to its previous directors and the sponsorship of the Founder, as has been requested repeatedly. The Founder is committed to supporting this great newspaper, that it can continue its original mission of playing a key role in America and throughout the world as a vehicle for journalistic excellence in the protection of democratic and moral principles.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kook Jin Moon Chairman and CEO, Tongil Group
Dr. In Jin Moon, President and CEO, Unification Church USA
Dr. Young Suk Song President, FFWPU Japan
Rev. Dong Mo Shin Continental Director, FFWPU Latin America & Caribbean
Rev. Sang Jin Lee Continental Director, FFWPU, Middle East
Rev. Dong Woo Kim Continental Director, FFWPU Oceania
Dr. Peter Kim Secretary General, Mission Foundation of FFWPU
Dr. Douglas D.M. Joo former Chairman and President, The Washington Times
Mr. Thomas P. McDevitt former President and Publisher, The Washington Times
Dr. Joon Ho Seuk President, FFWPU Korea
Dr. Chang Shik Yang Continental Director, FFWPU North America
Dr. Chung Sik Yong Continental Director, FFWPU
Dr. Yong Cheol Song Continental Director, FFWPU
Rev. Chae Hee Lee Continental Director, FFWPU
Dr. Katsumi Ohtsuka Continental Director, FFWPU
Rev. Hee Sun Ji Continental Director, FFWPU
Asia Europe Canada Eurasia Africa
