Hak Ja Han Moon is a Korean religious leader who is known among his followers as ‘Mother Moon’. She is the co-founder of Unification movement, which later changed to Family Federation for World Peace (FFWPU) and Universal Peace Federation (UPF), and founder of Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP). Han was born in 1943 in North Korea. Her family was persecuted by the North Korean government. In 1948, along with her mother, she fled the country after eleven days of imprisonment.
Han grew up in a religious environment in South Korea and finished her school studies. She joined Unification Church, which was founded by Sun Myung Moon and later married the founder of the unification in 1960. The marriage of the couples is believed to be a ‘holy marriage’ among their followers and, therefore, they are known as ‘True Parents’.
In 1992, Han Moon established the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), which works to empower women and encourages them to actively take part in promoting peace in their societies and the world. She traveled to 12 countries of the world and 20 cities of the US to give speeches and promote the organization. Currently, WFWP has 143 member countries. In 1995, in an event organized by her organization in Japan, she spoke with the former president of the US, George H. W. Bush.
In 1994, she helped her husband Moon to establish the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, which brings people with different religious and national backgrounds together and promote family values. This organization also helps organizing marriage blessings of thousands of couples. Since 2003, the FFWPU and Universal Peace Federation (UPF) organizes peace tours in the Middle East to promote peace and mutual respect between Christians, Jewish and Muslims, especially in Israel and Palestine. In 1996, Han traveled in various countries in Asia, Europe, the US, Central and South American countries and gave speeches on behalf of the organization.
Along with the members of different organizations related to this religious movement, she has organized thousands of cultural events, conferences and lectures throughout the world to promote peace, family values, understanding, and harmony. After the death of her husband in 2012, she has taken the responsibility of leading the affiliated organizations with their movement.
Universal Peace Federation: www.upf.org/founders/dr-hak-ja-han-moon