Report on the North Korea Visit – Part 6

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 6, final (Click here to read Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3 and Part 4 and Part 5)

Love is thicker than blood

We went back to Pyongyang. That afternoon Father visited the Children’s Palace, where many talented children are being educated as artists, musicians, athletes or dancers. They are very good and well-disciplined and performed almost better than the Little Angels, though a subtle beauty was missing. That night, the 6th, Father arranged a farewell banquet, though of course we had to use North Korean resources. About one hundred people came, including about ten of Father’s relatives. They sat with us and were so happy. Father began the evening by thanking everybody, including Premier Kim, for their hospitality and hard work. He spoke about true love. “When I first landed in Pyongyang, I said blood is thicker than water. But as I leave Pyongyang, I want to say that love is even thicker than blood.”

The banquet started as an official, formal banquet with professional singers, bands, and dancers, but Father turned it into a wonderful family night. Father had Mr. Yoon from East Garden staff sing a song entitled “Dedicated to My Wife,” and then he sang an encore. Everyone was shocked. They had never seen this before.

Then Father asked Mrs. McDevitt to sing. Before singing she said, “My dearest Premier Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il, I deeply appreciate your hospitality.” They never expected this kind of thank you from a South Korean. Everyone was so happy and applauded loudly. Then she sang beautifully. That melted the entire audience and they became like a family of brothers and sisters.

Next Father asked Mother to sing. All the TV cameras were there. Mother sang the Korean song “Ka Go Pa,” which expresses longing for one’s hometown: “Where are all my friends, what are they doing now? I want to drop everything and join them, laugh with them, cry with them, jump with them.” All the people really enjoyed it.

Then Father made Deputy Prime Minister Kim sing. He was still a little nervous. I was told later he has a good voice and in singing competitions he usually wins second or third place. But in front of Father, he forgot the words while he was singing.

Finally, Father got up to sing. His song, “Eight Wonders of the Country of Korea,” is often sung in North Korea and describes the beauty of the Diamond Mountains, the grandeur of Paektu mountains and Hala mountain on Jeju Island, the beautiful beaches, and the beauty of Pyongyang. By the end of the banquet everyone became like friends, chatting warmly and even hugging each other. It was a beautiful scene.

Speaking of singing, when we were traveling from Wan Sun Airport to the Diamond Mountains, someone on the bus started singing “Tong Il” (Our cherished hopes are for unity.) Even the government officials joined in. I found out that North Korean people sing “Tong Il” more than we do.

The next morning, December 7, they showed Father the Pyongyang subway system, which they say is the best in the world. It’s about three hundred feet underground, deeper than the subway in St. Petersburg, and is beautifully decorated with high ceilings, marble, and mosaics.

Then Father said, “Before I leave the country, I would like to visit the churches here.” There are probably only two church buildings in Pyongyang—one Protestant and one Catholic. Father visited both, prayed, and donated money to each. There was no denominational problem there—they welcomed Father.

Some fifteen or twenty government officials, besides the ones serving Father and Mother at the guest house, were closely watching us. One of the government officials stuck his head up near Father’s mouth to catch what Father was saying in prayer and he wrote it down. I felt like pulling his ear! Then as soon as Father left each church, the government official grabbed the church minister, asked him how much Father donated and wrote it down. After that, Father visited one of their art exhibition centers and bought several vases, some Korean art screens, and a marble statue. When we came out of the exhibition center, the government official came to me and asked, “Can you tell me how many items they were, how much they were and how much discount you got?” He had to report everything.

That was their mission, so I could not blame them. That is how closely we were watched. You could easily get intimidated, but I never saw Father was scared for even one second. From the beginning to the end, Father was straightforward with true love and head-wing ideology. He never compromised his stand. He showed love to everybody there. That is what I think impressed Kim Il Sung and melted his heart. Kim Il Sung said, “Please come back again.” He told his men, “Diamond Mountain is pretty, yet there is another mountain area that is even more beautiful, so why don’t you arrange for Rev. Moon to spend a few more days there?” Father cordially said, “I wish I could do that, but I have a heavy schedule for December. Next time I will go and see it.”

The biggest fish

There are many things I can share, but I want to conclude with the dispensational aspect of Father’s trip. I may be wrong in interpreting the dream I told you, but I think the kind of fish Dr. Pak caught represented Chairman Yoon and Deputy Prime Minister Kim. But Father’s concern was Premier Kim Il Sung, the nation’s leader. That is why Father kept looking at the water until he found the biggest and blackest fish. It was not easy, as you can see, he had to put his entire body into the water to catch it. If I may say so, that dream was like the formation stage of Father’s mission to win Kim Il Sung’s surrender.

Another vision came through True Mother. On December 2, we were awakened at 2:00 am and asked to be in True Parents’ room by 3:00 am for a special ceremony—right in the middle of Pyongyang. Father said the ceremony was the “ceremony of restoration,” though this is not the official name. Father and Mother stood up front. Dr. Pak and Mrs. Pak stood facing Father and Mother. Father said they represented Hyo Jin Nim and Nan Sook Nim since Father’s family are the ones who should be there with Father first. I stood behind Dr. Pak’s family. Father said I represented Kim II Sung. Behind me, Mr. Yoon from East Garden stood, representing General Secretary Kim Jong II. Behind him was Mr. Hwang Yop-joo from China, representing Deputy Prime Minister Kim and Chairman Yoon. Mrs. McDevitt stood to the side of us, representing the wives of all those three levels.

Starting from the lowest level, Mr. Hwang bowed to the next level and then shook hands to represent Kim and Yoon giving everything and surrendering to Kim Jong II, the next higher level. Then Mr. Yoon bowed and shook hands with me to represent Kim Jong II surrendering everything to his father. I, representing Kim Il Sung, did the same to Dr. and Mrs. Pak, who were representing Hyo Jin Nim and Nan Sook Nim. Then Hyo Jin Nim and Nan Sook Nim, through Dr. and Mrs. Pak, offered everything to True Parents. That is the way the course of restoration took place in that particular ceremony. Then Father prayed.

Right after the ceremony Mother was sitting in her room. In a vision she saw Kim II Sung walking down a big hallway. Some kind of light, like that of a demon in a movie, was shining out of his eyes. Mother was scolding him strongly. He got closer and closer to Mother and finally knelt down and surrendered there.

Kim II Sung surrendered spiritually to Mother in her vision. I may be wrong, but I think this represents the growth stage. The completion stage was Father’s actual meeting with Kim II Sung and getting assurance from him that Kim Il Sung is Father’s brother. Spiritually the Jacob and Esau relationship was established, though of course Kim Il Sung did not know what it was.

Strangely enough, the morning we left Pyongyang, and they gave us red bean porridge for breakfast—lentil soup, which Jacob used to get the birthright from Esau! Father completed everything, not just on the spiritual level, but also on the physical level.

I learned a lot. I was very afraid a couple of times. I would be willing to go back again, though at one point I really wanted to get out of there. I was that scared. Again and again I realized that Father is the only one who could do this. Father set so many historical records in North Korea during that time, even in their eyes. Those hard core North Korean communists, like Chairman Yoon, were no match for Father. Finally Kim Il Sung and Father became friends and brothers.

From now on let us pray more for the sake of the unification of Korea.

Dr. Peter Kim and his wife Phyllis live in South Korea but also spend time in the United States with their grandchildren.