The power of a wife who brought today’s Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification Church; the power of a mother who gave birth to 13 children and raised them; the power of a woman who embraces and looks after all the church members through the world—despite all these powers of hers, she was unexpectedly noble, like a crane, with a Rose of Sharon-like natural beauty which can be found in a simple woman living in one’s neighborhood.

Mrs. Hak Ja Han is a still-unfamiliar name to us. Her face is not easily noticeable—like a bright meadow flower hidden by the shade of a gigantic pine tree.

Hiding herself behind Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who has aroused innumerable and diverse reactions throughout the world, Mrs. Moon is like an extremely typical Korean wife who has not yet removed her veil from her face.

That is why the Weou Won Magazine visited Mrs. Moon—not because she is the wife of the founder of a religion, but rather because we believed she could infinitely touch our hearts as a patient and tolerant wife supporting the success of her husband and as a devoted mother to her 13 children.

We could immediately judge what kind of person she is from her gentle and soft voice saying, "I would like to consult with my husband first about your request. Would you please telephone me again?" From this, we could see that she is a wife who trusts and depends on her husband more than anyone else.

Same birthday, same home town, same smile, same religion

There are many points which Rev. and Mrs. Moon have in common. First, their birthdays are the same: Rev. Moon’s birthday is January 6, 1920, whereas Mrs. Moon’s is January 6, 1943. Secondly, Rev. Moon was born in Jeong Joo, Pyung Book province, and Mrs. Moon in the same province in the town of Ahn Joo, not far from Rev. Moon’s hometown. Thirdly, we cannot discover any traces of anger on their faces; they both have a beautiful smile. Last both of them were born in devout Christian families.

There is a saying that if a couple share the same birthday, they are already special people, predestined to marry with the blessing of heaven. If so, was not this couple bound to be brought together by God?

Mrs. Moon was wedded at a tender age on April 15, 1960, at the Unification Church headquarters located at 71-3 Ga, Chung Pa Dong, Seoul, Korea.

I asked her about her inner state at the time of marriage, when she must have still retained many of her girlhood creams.

"Raised in a devout Christian family, I was kept busy reading the books about men and women saints handed to me by my mother. Without allowing me any moments to think of any other dreams, my mother pushed me to read only those books, as if they were homework assignments given by a school teacher. As a result, I anticipated that I myself would become like such women saints as I grew up. When I married Rev. Moon, I believed it was God’s will and accept it."

Because I’m Korean, I like white; because it’s the color of the rose of sharon, I like purple.

On October 5, she invited all the wives of the participants of the World Media Conference to a tea and greeted them as follows:

"Koreans love peace. Throughout its 5,000-year history, Korea has been invaded by foreign countries numerous times; on these occasions our people exhibited remarkable courage. But Korea never attacked others first. The fact that we love the color white is proof of our love for peace….

"Korean women are famous for their traditional three virtues: filial piety for parents, respect for their spouse, and constant care and love for their children. They are generally shy and tend to be quiet. Yet whenever their nation was confronted with danger, they arose boldly and protected their country at the risk of their lives. There are many Korean "Joan of Arcs.’ I want you to realize that the real source of Korea’s power is in the hands of Korean women. They are well aware of how to attend their husbands…."

I could perceive through her short speech her constant efforts to help the strangers from abroad to understand Korea better.

"My husband is very unique. He has committed himself to live only for the sake of God and seems to be crazy for God alone. So it is very difficult to keep pace with him, but it is also with great pride that I can support him as his wife. Nevertheless, I have never been asked to take any course called ‘attendance for spouses’ and to obtain credit for it. However, if by chance you have an opportunity to question my husband about my grade please inform me of the result. One thing I can tell you with confidence is that I offered 13 children to my husband. In that respect I am sure that he will give me a medal."

She spoke in fluent and elegant English, dressed in a white Korean jacket top and light purple long skirt…. At her witty remark about deserving a medal for having given birth to 13 children, all the guests burst into loud laughter, and the atmosphere of the conference room became far softer and warmer….

When Lady Ky, the wife of the former prime minister of Vietnam (previously she had been Miss Vietnam and a stewardess), who seems to be greatly interested in her external appearance, questioned how Mrs. Moon could be so beautiful with clear, fair skin, she replied, "It is thanks to Korean cuisine."…

The life-long companion through ordeals, who sublimates even the pain of giving birth; the source of courage.

Mrs. Moon gave birth to 13 children, approximately one each year—seven sons and six daughters in all. When she was asked about the source of such courage and tolerance, she answered: "My husband’s joy was indescribable whenever I delivered him a baby; it was really difficult for me to carry an infant almost every year." However, when she heard from her husband, "Mother, I thank you very much for your hard work; the more children we have, the better they are; isn’t that God’s blessing for us?"—she felt warmly embraced by him, and all her difficulties disappeared. Thus, she always keeps those precious words in the center of her heart, with deep appreciation. She also added, "No matter how great the difficulty, if that was the way I could bring happiness to my husband, I felt I could endure anything. Isn’t his joy mine?"

Her love for her husband seemed too intense for us to comprehend with our ordinary sensibility.

When Rev. Moon is badly treated by mass media or when he faces hardships, how does she comfort him, I asked her.

"He has been really mercilessly and cruelly treated by the mass media worldwide, but that is because they do not know my husband well. As you witnessed through the World Media Conference, the current world has changed a great deal. He definitely will be understood properly by the world. In the midst of tremendous tribulations, he does something incredible, things which no one else in human history could ever do. When we examine people of the past, we find that whoever was great was also lonely. In that sense, isn’t it natural that he should be in such a situation? Although my power is weak, still I try to let him understand that there is a woman at his side who always wants to share the same destiny of life and death. Wouldn’t that small power of a woman become the source of courage to a man? I believe this is my duty as a supportive wife to her husband."

Her assistance for her husband through Ginseng extract, natural spring water, and bright smiles

I asked the secret of how she takes care of her husband, helping him maintain his health under such difficult circumstances, while conducting important tasks—one of which was the recent World Media Conference.

"My husband works so hard, day and night, even forgetting to eat and sleep. He sleeps only two hours a day. So often he prays all night long. But fortunately, he is not fussy about food and eats any kind of food. So I do not need to worry about that too much. Yet, I always prepare Ginseng, so he can take it whenever h needs spiritual relaxation. I mix one portion of Ginseng extract with four portions of honey, making a thin syrup, and serve him a spoonful of it every morning and evening. I also urge him to drink sufficient amounts of natural water.

Perhaps the reason why Mrs. Moon is still as beautiful as a girl and Rev. Moon looks like a healthy young man is due to their drinking natural spring water.

"In order for my husband to be able to work very hard outside, without being bothered by family affairs, I try to be patient and tolerant, no matter what difficult matters may come up in my family. Don’t you think that is one of a wife’s virtues? I also believe that it is important not to lose the bright smile on my face."

One can imagine how many ordeals she had to undergo in order to rear 13 children, but Mrs. Mon stated that she is doing her best not to lose her smiling face, thinking of her husband working so earnestly, traveling a lonely path.

From her words, I could understand why she could not stop smiling. It was the kind of smile one can carry only when she accepts and digests everything.

A Korean wife who endures with strength, like a pure white crane

Mrs. Hak Ja Han. As her name indicates, she is a woman who could endure many times more than any other ordinary woman.

She seemed to be pure and clear, like an autumn flower, but at the same time, she was a traditional Korean woman who could fly slowly, high in the sky, and at the same time stand firmly on the ground with one leg.

Proud of loving Korea more than anyone else does, she is the kind of wife who regards happiness as being situated in a position where she can love her husband.