Modern technology cannot help Moon

By Na Jeong-ju

The Unification Church said Friday that its 92-year-old founder Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who has been in a critical condition since early August, may be unable to recover from illness.

The comment followed media reports that cited doctors as saying, “He can’t be cured with current medical technology. We did everything we could do.”

The church said Moon’s family has moved him from Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital to Cheongshim Hospital, located in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, regarded as the Mecca of the Unification Church by its followers.

“Moon will receive treatment at a hospital founded by him in the holy place which is filled with spiritual energy,” a church spokesman said.

“We hope he will recover his health there.”

Moon received treatment at the intensive care unit of St. Mary’s Hospital after developing complications caused by a cold and pneumonia.

Tongil Group, a corporation founded by Moon, earlier said he was in a “critical condition,” without revealing further details.

Despite his old age, Moon had been actively participating in evangelization work in Korea and the United States. He delivered the opening speech at the Peace Cup football tournament held in July and presented awards to winners.

In an effort to unite Christianity, he founded the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity in 1954. However, he faced persecution from Christian groups in Korea. He established the Washington Times in the U.S. in 1982 and the Segye Times, a Korean-language paper, in Korea in 1989.