Cham Bumo Gyeong
Book 10: Preparing the Ideal Environment Centering on the Providence of the Ocean and Latin America
Chapter 2: The Ocean Providence and Development of Marine Resources
Section 1: Korea, Yamok and Jeju Island
Section 1: Korea, Paragraph 12

Chapter 2.  The Ocean Providence and Development of Marine Resources

Section 1. Korea

Yamok and Jeju Island 

True Father has been interested in the marine industry since the earliest days of the church. During the second national evangelist workshop that began on July 20, 1959 in Gyeonggi Province, at Yamok-ri, Maesong-myeon, Hwaseong-gun, near Incheon, he taught members how to catch fish and trained them in the lagoons and mud flats there. He built a boat, and at its launch at Incheon on June 26, 1963 he christened it Cheon Seung Ho or "heaven's victory." He and several members used to fish from that boat. This was the beginning of the ocean providence.

From its beginnings at Yamok, the ocean providence was expanded to Jeju Island, then to Yeosu and Geomundo (Port Hamilton). True Parents selected Jeju Island as an important base for this providence, and they made substantial investments there which included building a shipyard, a fish farm, and a tangerine orchard. Situated in a strategic location where the East Sea, the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet, Jeju Island is regarded as Korea's gateway to the ocean and that is why they developed the marine industry from there. Toward the end of his life, True Father purchased the small islet of Jiguido, located off the south coast of Jeju Island near Seoguipo, with plans to develop a fishing business there.

1   When the Unification Church was just getting started, I began training young people to lead the marine industry that I was contemplating for the future. There was a place called Yamok where one could find deep water excellent for fishing. All sorts of rumors circulated about that place, such as that of a 1,000 year-old monster that lived in the water, and that no one who entered the water there survived. But in fact, the water was teeming with life. Wherever you went, there was every sort of fish imaginable, especially snake heads, catfish and eels. Our early members who were trained at Yamok always talked about their methods for catching those fish.

2   There was a particular lagoon at Yamok that was so choked with sea grass that the water snakes there did not go into the water. They just slithered back and forth across the top of the grass. No one really knew how deep it was. There were prickly water lilies growing there as well. Most people think that prickly water lilies grow only in shallow water, but simply because those lilies were growing there, it did not mean that the water was shallow. We made a huge net to catch fish in that water. It must have been 300 meters wide. We cast it every 100 meters, and we caught practically every fish that was there. We loaded our whole catch into a truck and went into town, intending to offer free fish to the townspeople. But the townspeople refused to eat the fish that came from that lagoon. I can never forget that experience as we dumped the whole truckload of crucian carp, common carp, snake heads, catfish and eels back into the lagoon.

3   I remember a long time ago when I took off my shirt and rolled around in the water and mud at Yamok. We had set out a huge net. When the tide came in, fish were drawn into the net, and when the tide went out they were trapped in the shallows of the mud flat. We just walked out onto the mud flat and scooped up the fish—loads and loads of fish. Everyone's face was covered in black mud, making young and old look alike. We were all pitch black except for our eyes, which blinked wide open. We did not even notice that the sun was setting. We were completely distracted by the huge number of fish we were catching. I can never forget all that we did at that time. It left an unforgettable impression in my heart. That was our life together, when we spent our days thinking only of our nation and of God's Will.

4   In 1963, we built a boat and called it Cheon Seung Ho. It means "heavens victory." I named it that to signify my determination that God's Will be done. After building the Cheon Seung Ho, I talked about becoming a power in the oceans of the world. Many members did not like riding on the boat. They would say, "We cannot go out today. The waves are too high." But can a true fisherman back down like that? Until life is gone from his body, a fisherman must go out regardless. I became a true fisherman. I paid no attention to rain or snow; I fished in heavy downpours. I would fish until evening even when it rained.

5   In 1963 I built a boat and called it Cheon Seung Ho. There is a reason behind this name: I wanted to make a condition for heaven's victory. Then, soon after I set foot in America, in 1973, I began building boats again. I have been using these boats ever since. In Alaska I would stay on my boat day and night. I would go out on my boat with single-minded devotion.

6   In the 1960s I climbed all the well-known mountains in Korea. I climbed them while hunting birds and game, but my purpose was to scope out all the land. After that I went to the sea to fish. During the flood judgment, it was the land that faced the judgment. Fish in the waters were not judged. That is why I can use fish to pay all the indemnity for the land. Fish are in the original form and state in which God created them. Therefore, we have to love them. Up until this year, 2000, I have spent more than 27 years going out on boats on the sea, loving the fish. Everywhere I lived, I sought out the water and places to fish. I made my first boat in Korea in 1963. That was 37 years ago. I am trying to connect all of that to our maritime businesses. If you read my sermons from back then, you will understand. I named my boat Cheon Seung Ho to signify that I would make God victorious. Boats are needed to connect the sea to the land. In order to claim ownership over the ocean, I started with one boat, Cheon Seung Ho, expanded our presence into maritime businesses, and then into the shipbuilding industry.

7   Whenever I had time to spare, I would always go to Jeju Island to offer devotions. Historically, Jeju Island was the place where Korea's loyal government officials were exiled when they fell out of favor. We cannot deny this fact in our history. Thus, I thought I must go to Jeju Island before I go on with my path. 

The word jeju has different meanings in Korean, depending on which Chinese characters we use. It can mean "chief priest" jeju (祭主),, who conducts an offering to spirits in the other world. It can also mean "the world that is crossed," jeju (濟州), which signifies the restored world. The syllable ju (州) in Jeju uses the Chinese character meaning "village," but I interpret it as another character for ju (主), which means "lord." Since an island symbolizes woman, Jeju means "the Lord who passes over into another world to find Eve." To make this connection, as God's representative, I often left the mainland, visited the island, and then returned to the mainland. That is why I have been pouring my devotion into Jeju Island throughout my life.

8   To me, Jeju Island signifies a place where the chief priests who conduct religious rituals live. Jeju Island is a sacred island because these chief priests, jeju (祭主), have gathered to live there. The people of Jeju Island worship the ocean god, and they also worship the mountain god on Halla Mountain. When people who worship a god prepare for a ritual, they offer special acts of devotion. The chief priest of the ritual is in the position of the owner. When making an offering during the ritual, you must absolutely adhere to his instructions. You must not listen to anyone else. Why do you think I have been so interested in Jeju Island? Jeju Island is the southernmost part of Korea. If the mainland represents man, then Jeju Island represents woman. That is why island people are always yearning for the mainland, and they are lonely. Where can such lonely people find comfort? They can find comfort on the path where their love for God's Will connects them to freedom. Therefore, they want to be connected to the mainland, where people are able to travel freely.

9   Near Jeju Island there is a tiny islet called Jiguido. The Chinese characters for Jiguido mean "the island for returning to the earth." When I saw Jiguido (地歸島), I thought, "Ah! Restoration can start right here." So I bought that islet. It now belongs to us. If you go out from the shore only 100 meters, you will find that the ocean is very deep. I thought, "If I take all the living things from Cheonji (天池), heaven's ground, at the top of Baekdu Mountain, and plant them in the soil of Jiguido, they will act like news seeds to bring the universe back to life. The universe will be liberated." That is why I have the idea of making Jeju Island into the finest theme park and resort area in the world.

10   Some people already know that Jiguido can become a premiere fishing spot. We can attract many people to Jiguido, take them on our boats and show them where they can catch different kinds of fish. We would tell them, "You can catch bass and snapper here." Then, fishermen would like to catch other kinds of fish as well. Expert fishermen have their own favorites. Jiguido has every kind of fish, and the guides on our boats will know where to catch them. Many visitors will use our boats, and after coming back they will stay in the hotel that we will build. We have to develop this area, or none of this can happen. The best way to develop Jiguido is to make it into a fishing destination.

11   Jeju Island is the gateway to Korea. It is fast becoming a very important passageway into and out of Asia. Because it is located where the East Sea, the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet, from a strategic perspective, it is a most critical location as a military fortress. Also on the island, next to Moseulpo, there is a port. My understanding is that it has the potential to become a world-class military port because the water there is deep enough. Considering all these conditions, Jeju Island may one day even become like Hong Kong and function as a free international city. In order to build such a foundation, we need to begin with a business that can develop Jeju Island and Jiguido into fishing destinations.

12   Island must become a tourist destination that surpasses any tourist hot spot in America or Europe. Halla Mountain is a great providential asset. Symbolizing womanhood, Halla Mountain is like a mother's body, and therefore it needs to have many children clinging to it, like sons and daughters gaining life from their mother's breast. We must not spare anything in making Jeju Island into a top class tourist destination. Once we do, we can create the best tourist attraction in Asia. Then Japan, China and Russia will begin to take notice. Jeju Island can become our base from which to accomplish that. Jeju Island will become a tourist spot and a fishing destination. Fishing will not be limited only to the area immediately adjacent to the island. Tourists will be able to ride speedboats to go fishing for tilefish or any other fish. They will be able to fish in the waters near the Japanese coastline. Imagine what would happen if we had speedboats taking tourists to fish even near the Chinese coastline! You would not be able to stop the flood of people flocking to visit Jeju Island. Jeju Island is such an enchanting place that it can attract tourists from Japan, China, and even from Russia.