Successor of Sun Myung Moon

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The successor of Sun Myung Moon is the person who will lead the Unification Movement he founded after his death. Observers of the Unification Movement, as well as some members, have speculated about the succession issue. The issue is important to Rev. Moon[1] and his followers, as well as to outsiders.

[edit] Official Successor

Rev. Moon has indicated several times that his wife Hak Ja Han Moon will be his successor upon his death. He had her start the Women's Federation for World Peace and sent her on many lengthy speaking tours to proclaim core church teachings. She took on major leadership responsibilities in the mid 1980s when her husband served a little over a year of a prison sentence for alleged white-collar crime; see Sun Myung Moon tax case.

[edit] Other possible successors

Rev. Moon has also said that he desired to find a successor among his sons.

Some people called Rev. and Mrs. Moon's oldest son Hyo Jin Moon an heir apparent. He was appointed head of World CARP, while assisted by Dr. Joon Ho Seuk.[2] Many within the church began looking to Hyun Jin Moon,[3] a graduate of Harvard's MBA program, as a possible successor. As of late 2007, he has been taking on more responsibility for the Universal Peace Federation, currently led by Rev. Chung Hwan Kwak.

Rev. Moon's former daughter-in-law implied that he had no successor:

  • Nansook Hong wrote, “The failure to designate and groom a successor all but guarantees a familial bloodletting after Reverend Moon’s death.” [3]

However, the church position is that Rev. Moon's wife, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, is Rev. Moon's successor.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ "I have to set up a representative or successor before I can complete this mission. Is there anyone? Rev. Kwak? Dr. Bo Hi Pak? Is there? No, not one is qualified." [1]
  2. ^ There was criticism of Rev. Moon's judgment based on the premise that (1) he had designated an heir apparent and the fact that (2) this "heir" did not demonstrate leadership ability. The church position is that Rev. Moon never designated anyone other than his wife as a successor.
  3. ^ "The mantle is passing to Hyun Jin Nim." [2]