Chambumo Gyeong - 378. Mt. Geumgang can be developed
The dialogue with President Kim Il-sung resulted in an agreement about the development of Mt. Geumgang (Diamond Mountain). The Geumgang Mountains boast the most beautiful scenery on the Korean Peninsula, with vistas comparable to the most lovely places on earth. True Parents foresaw that developing this picturesque mountain area would not only benefit the North Korean economy through international tourism but would also contribute greatly toward achieving North-South reunification and world peace. 1 I have a plan to invite renowned peo ple from around the world to an exquisite resort to discuss current global issues. Mt. Geumgang should be designed as this venue and developed as a world-class resort. It encompasses a vast area. The North Korean government has designated an area of land about half the size of Jeju Island—which is large—at Mt. Geumgang and surrounded it with barbed wire. Even North Koreans are barred from entering without a permit. But I will see to it that people will be able to travel freely to Mt. Geumgang even without a visa.
That place is truly heaven on earth. We can build a locally managed folk village there. Celebrities can build wonderful mansions there for their retirement. People will be drawn to this place more than to their own nations' tourist attractions. Different ethnic groups will strive to build their own cultural environments there, with each responsible for its own area. No conflict will arise and no one will worry about security, because every nation and people will harmonize according to its own highest standard.
We will hold banquets and seminars for leaders from different fields, with lots of free time to sing, dance and enjoy life. If eminent people give lectures and hold seminars at Mt. Geumgang, the demand for space will be high. As more and more cultural events and activities take place, people will be drawn closer to one another, and an ideal environment will be created. I am planning to turn the site into such an attractive place. I am going to create a model to showcase the kingdom of heaven on earth. (250-308, 1993/10/15) 2 Many businessmen and economists from around the world have visited Mt. Geumgang. More than likely, however, they salivated over the thought of generating profits from this site, without giving any thought to its beauty or its potential as an ideal tourist attraction. They are ready to load up all the gold nuggets and take off. Not surprisingly, the North Korean government does not trust them. No matter how hard North Korea looks around, the only person they can trust is me. When they examine my motivation and compare it with the behavior, attitude and motivation of the others, who came and went, what do they think? The North Korean government believes that dealing with the other type of people will be the downfall of the Mt. Geumgang development project.
Mt. Geumgang has been preserved under God's protection. It is an amazing place. Nonetheless, I have no self-interest here; it is a national-level project. If this project moves forward, Russia and China will unite with other Asian countries to build an airport, a hub for major cities throughout the world. By opening this airport, tourists will flock to Asia from the Middle East and everywhere, and new air routes will open up across Asia, Europe and the Americas. (225-175, 1992/01/20) 3 Mt. Geumgang can be developed into the top tourist attraction in the world. It will generate high revenues, but I am not doing this for money. We need to make it a place that can move Asia and influence China and Russia. If I am given such a privileged opportunity, anyone who goes to Mt. Geumgang will first receive a weeklong Unification Principle workshop. There are so many hidden nooks up and down the mountains and valleys that it is hard to visit more than seven of them in a week. To meet the demand, we will offer excellent guides and amenities to those who make a two- or three-week reservation, and at the same time we will educate them in the Principle. (227-188, 1992/02/11) 4 What would happen if I told President Kim Il-sung right now, "Let Unification Church members conduct pilgrimages to Mt. Geumgang?" Imagine the possibilities for pilgrimage tourism! I grew up and went to school in Jeongju, and I endured prison in Heungnam. Also, I spent some time at a place called Gyeongchang-ri in Pyongyang. If we bring sites like these back to life and develop them as tourist destinations, the government should at least allow Unification Church members to make pilgrimages to visit them. If they allow this, then one member could easily bring 10 or 100 people with him. On such a pilgrimage, they could also visit places in South Korea such as Daegu or Busan where I suffered and endured hardships. We operate the second- or third-largest tour company in South Korea, so we could use our own company's buses. When North Korean visitors come to South Korea and refuse to return to the North, it poses a problem, but North Koreans taking part in the tours we organize would not cause such problems. In addition, we could connect the tourist sites of Mt. Geumgang to those at Mt. Myohyang and Mt. Baekdu. Unification Church members from around the world would love Jeongju more than their own homes.
An enterprise like this would pay for itself. North Korea possesses this treasure. But people have been grappling with plans like this since the liberation of Korea 46 years ago. If North and South Korea had united at that time and cooperated in developing tourism, they would already have reaped hundreds of billions of dollars. They could have lived as fortunate, blessed citizens in the most prosperous land on earth instead of falling into ruin because of the war. When we view things from this perspective, all of North Korea is on the move and should utilize me. I hope this will come to be the case. (1991/12/04) |