Bo Hi Pak

Bo Hi Pak (August 18, 1930 – January 12, 2019 in Korea. Korean: 박보희/朴普熙) was a prominent member of the Unification Church. During the 1970s and 1980s, he was a major leader in the church movement, leading projects such as newspapers (notably ''The Washington Times''), schools, performing arts projects, political projects such as the anti-communist organization CAUSA International, and was president of the Unification Church International 1977–1991. He was also the president of Little Angels Children's Folk Ballet of Korea.

Life

Pak was a lieutenant colonel in the South Korean military when he joined the Unification Church in the 1950s. Serving church founder Sun Myung Moon as his main English interpreter during speaking tours in the United States, he was referred to in the media as Moon's "right-hand man" (or similarly), such as "Moon's top deputy".

He was the central figure in Moon's publishing businesses, including founding President and Publisher, '' The News World'' (later renamed ''New York City Tribune''); founding President and Chairman of the Board, the Washington Times Corporation; and President, World Media Association.Appendix B: Brief Chronology of the Life of Dr. Bo Hi Pak, in ''Messiah: My Testimony to Rev. Sun Myung Moon, Vol I'' by Bo Hi Pak (2000), Lanham, MD: University Press of America.

*1973 Principal, the Little Angels Arts School, Seoul, Korea.
*1974 Principal evangelist and director general of the Sun Myung Moon Christian Crusade.
*1976-1988 Chairman, Sun-Hwa Educational Foundation, Seoul, Korea.
*1976-1990 President and publisher, the ''News World'' daily newspaper in New York City (later renamed New York City Tribune).
*1977-1991 President, Unification Church International.
*1977-Present Member of the Board, Unification Church International.
*1978-1995 President, World Media Association.
*1980-1992 President and Publisher. ''Noticias Del Muudo'', New York Spanish-language daily newspaper.
*1981-Present President, CAUSA International.
*1982-1992 President, the Washington Times Corporation. (''The Washington Times'' daily newspaper and ''Insight on the News'' weekly magazine, and ''World & I'' monthly academic journal
*1982-1997 Chairman of the Board, the Washington Times Corporation.
*1983-1997 Chairman, Association for the Unity of Latin America.
*1986-Present President, Universal Ballet Foundation, corporate sponsors of the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C.
*1987-1997 President, Summit Council for World Peace.
*1990-Present Chairman of the hoard and chief executive officer, Panda Motors Corporation in the United States, Hong Kong, and China.
*1991-1994 President and publisher, ''Seyge Ilbo'' daily newspaper, Seoul, Korea.

In 1977/1978, Pak testified before the Fraser Committee in its investigation of the Unification Church, commenting: "I am a proud Korean – a proud Moonie – and a dedicated anti-Communist and I intend to remain so the rest of my life." In response to the adversarial investigation, Pak wrote ''Truth is My Sword''. Alexander Haig commented in the introduction: "From the battlefield of the Korean peninsula to the halls of the U.S. Congress, Dr. Pak's speeches mirror the convictions of an individual whose ardent sense of justice has always been the cornerstone of his advocacy of personal freedom and democracy."

In 1984 Pak was kidnapped in New York City and held for ransom. The FBI arrested the kidnappers, who claimed that the crime was an attempt to change Unification Church policy.

In 1987 at a church gathering, a Zimbabwean Unification Church member who was thought by Moon to be the continuous "channel" on earth for his deceased son Heung Jin Moon, "beat Bo Hi Pak so badly that he was hospitalized for a week in Georgetown Hospital." ''The Washington Post'' reported that "Later, Pak underwent surgery in South Korea to repair a blood vessel in his skull, according to Times executives."

In 1994, Pak visited North Korea to attend the funeral of President Kim Il Sung, risking legal trouble by the South Korean government in doing so. In 1998 he visited again, leading a trade delegation representing Unification Church interests with the blessing of the South Korean government.

On July 20, 2004 the Eastern Seoul District Prosecutor imprisoned Pak and charged him with financial fraud because he was unable to repay his debts to Korean businessmen.case background
In 2006, Pak was released on probation after serving 2 years and 3 ½ months. On November 6, 2006, he sent a letter to be distributed by Unification Church publications worldwide to give an account of his experiences in prison. In the letter he wrote:

See also

* Unification Church political activities
* Koreagate
* Subcommittee on International Organizations of the Committee on International Relations (Fraser Committee)
* True World Foods

References

External links

Book by James Gavin


a book about Sun Myung Moon by Bo Hi Pak


by InJin Moon


by Bo Hi Pak

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pak, Bo Hi
1930 births
2019 deaths
South Korean anti-communists
South Korean Unificationists
South Korean military personnel
South Korean prisoners and detainees
Prisoners and detainees of South Korea
The Washington Times people
Kidnapped South Korean people
People convicted of fraud