From the 1960s True Parents initiated and supported a global movement to confront the communist ideology and its practice. Father would speak about North Korea and its leader Kim Il Sung. Yet, against all the odds, in the later months of 1991 True Parents were able to visit North Korea. That they could go at all was a miracle and that they could engage so personally, meaningfully and productively with the leader of the strongest communist dictatorship of all time evidences the great work of God. Not long after Father and Mother and their party returned from Pyongyang, Dr. Peter Kim gave the following testimony to the American members in New York.
By Dr. Peter Kim
World Mission Center (New Yorker Hotel), New York City
December 15, 1991
Part 5 (Click here to read Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3 and Part 4)
An invitation to the palace
Around 3:00 pm we went back to Pyongyang. At the airport we were greeted by Chairman Yoon, Deputy Prime Minister Kim, Chairman Yoon’s wife, and another woman high official. They asked us to follow, but did not tell us where we were going. We got on another plane and flew about forty-five minutes. We landed in Hamhung, which is about one hundred and fifty miles from Pyongyang, and were driven to a guest house.
That night they told us that despite their efforts to cancel the meeting, Kim Il Sung had said, “Who said Rev. Moon cannot see me? No matter what they say, I will see him. On top of that, I want to have lunch with him.”
Father and Mother were staying in one guest house, and Dr. Pak and I were staying in another house about three hundred yards away. The Deputy Prime Minister begged us, “Please prepare Rev. Moon’s speech. If he preaches to Premier Kim ll Sung like he does to us, we are dead.”
We told Father that this was the situation Deputy Prime Minister Kim was facing. Father said, “Go and prepare, I will take a look at it.” Dr. Pak and I worked on it all night. We showed it to Father and he said, “Keep it with you, I may use it, I may not.”
Deputy Premier Kim was so worried about what Father might say that he could not sleep that night, so he was walking around and happened to meet Father outside as he was coming to see us.
The next morning, around 9:30 am, Father, Mother, and Dr. and Mrs. Pak were taken by Mercedes Benz, and we were left behind. We did not expect to see Premier Kim II Sung. Nobody told us anything. Then we were told we would meet Father and Mother later. We were just praying there. About thirty minutes after Father and Mother left we were taken by bus—Mr. Yoon, Mrs. McDevitt, Mr. Hwang, and myself, to where Father was meeting with Kim II Sung. The Chinese delegate, Robert Lee, had left two days before. The location was about a forty-five minute drive from where we stayed that night. The amazing thing is that on the way to President Kim II Sung’s mansion, we passed the very prison where Father stayed in Hung Nam before the Korean war. It was ironic, but historic too, that a few blocks past the prison, Kim II Sung was there waiting for Father.
Opponents become brothers
Unfortunately, I was not there at the moment when Father first met Kim II Sung but later I watched the video and received a report from Dr. Pak.
Father had gotten out of the car, marched up to Kim II Sung, and grabbed his hand in a strong handshake. Kim II Sung is also stockily built—big like a bear. Father, another bear, walked toward him and gave him a big bear hug and slap on the back. Father greeted him and he greeted Father like friends. Father said, “I came here to become your friend.”
He said, “Okay,” and the two took pictures. Their private conference was an hour and a half. Father and Mother, Dr. and Mrs. Pak, sat on one side, and on the other side were Premier Kim II Sung, Chairman Yoon, (still nervous, like half dead), Deputy Prime Minister Kim (even more nervous).
Chairman Yoon and Deputy Prime Minister Kim were so anxious. Father is absolutely unpredictable. They could not know what kind of talk Father would have with Premier Kim. If Father had preached like he had to them, they thought they would collapse there and die.
But Father was so diplomatic. Father even praised Chairman Yoon’s and Deputy Prime Minister Kim’s hard work in front of Premier Kim II Sung. They were so happy, and later on they said to me the North Korean equivalent of “Thank God!” Father cordially conveyed his message and his idea for the reunification of Korea.
Three times while Father was giving his message, Premier Kim said “Thank you,” and initiated applause. Father impressed Kim Il Sung and really shared true love. Father showed his determination to do something for the sake of all Korea and world peace. That is where they got close to each other.
After the conference, we went to the dining room. There were two dining tables and a lot of warm dialogue at each. This was the time they built a family atmosphere with a kind of brotherly relationship. Kim Il Sung told Father, “I prepared today’s menu particularly for you. These particular dishes are special to me, and I thought you would like them.” At some point, they got into fishing stories. Premier Kim Il Sung said, “I like fishing so much that even when I was a mountain fighter (when he was fighting against the Japanese regime for Korean independence) I would stop my entire troop whenever I came upon a lake where there were fish, in order to catch and eat them.”
Father smiled and said, “Oh yes, I will invite you to Kodiak where we can catch 300-pound halibut.”
Premier Kim quietly asked his deputies, “Are there fish that big?”
They said, “Yes.”
He replied, “Wow.” Mother shared about tuna fishing, and Father told him about marlin fishing. He could not say anything because he had never seen or caught such fish. Then they started talking about hunting bears.
Neither Premier Kim II Sung nor his son are ever accompanied by their wives. They showed many movies to us, but their wives were in none of those movies. At one point Mother said, “Where are your wives? Why aren’t your wives shown anywhere?” They were kind of shocked. Our Unification Church members are fortunate–we can take our wives anyplace!
Premier Kim asked Father, “Rev. Moon, I understand that you know a lot of famous people because you have many organizations all over the world.”
Father said, “Yes, we have PWPA, the Summit Council, Federation for World Peace, and many others.”
Premier Kim nodded his head and said, “Then, could you arrange a meeting with President Bush?”
Father said, “I will see what I can do.”
By the time they could talk about these things, I don’t know if he was pretending, but he seemed to start trusting and depending on Father. He said, “I am more than open to you. Anytime from now on if you want to come, just give me a call. I will invite you.” When Father told him how beautiful the Diamond Mountain area is, he said, “Everything is for you now. You do whatever you want. Now I open this entire Diamond Mountain for you because I know you are capable of developing there and that you will save the beauty of nature. I leave everything up to you. However, only those who are over sixty years old should be allowed to ride the cable cars and enjoy the beauty; and younger people should walk,” he said jokingly. Father just smiled. During the luncheon, Kim II Sung was very respectful and cordial to Father. Whenever Father explained something, he said, “Thank you, thank you,” and nodded his head.
Seeing how excellently his staff attend their father, Premier Kim, I repented a lot and made new determination I should do better than they. Whenever they responded to Premier Kim, they would show their respect by standing up, even during mealtime.
After lunch, we were in the hallway, which is wide and about one-hundred yards long with beautiful marble columns. Father and Kim Il Sung walked down the entire hallway holding hands together. The chief of staff and other government officials were surprised. They said it was the first time Premier Kim had ever done this. As they walked, Father told Premier Kim, ‘Well, we started as friends, but since you are older, why don’t you become my elder brother and I become your younger brother?”
Premier Kim said, “Oh that is a good idea, let’s do that.” Father walked into that house to become a friend, and two and a half hours later, they walked out of the house calling each other brothers.
At the entrance they took pictures together in front of a Diamond Mountains painting. This photograph appeared on the front page of the only newspaper of North Korea, RodongShinmoon (Workers’ Newspaper). Nobody except heads of state get this kind of treatment. According to a South Korean expert on North Korea, Premier Kim always puts his hands together behind his back when he takes pictures. But this time he held hands with Father. This was another record. Even a South Korean paper said it was extraordinary that Premier Kim held hands together with Rev. Moon when they took an official photograph. Even more amazing was a picture of Father and Premier Kim toasting the reunification of Korea.
Continued next week…