9. Korea, the Birthplace of the New Spring Civilization When we look over the history of the world, the nation that controlled the greater part of Europe, North Africa, and even part of Asia, while blossoming into a brilliant culture as the greatest empire in ancient Europe, was the nation of ancient Rome. Not only did the culture of ancient Rome become the basis of Western European culture, but it also continues to exert its influence on the world today. What is the reason for this? Italy is a peninsula nation located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean sea was the place that became the source of the ancient Greek and Roman cultures, so that it is even said that "Europe's ancient culture is a Mediterranean culture."
Also the Italian peninsula on the shores of the Mediterranean, being a temperate region with the four distinct seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, is a place where the natural providence of the seasons is clear, just as in our country. In other words, one of the best places in the world for climate and natural environment is the Italian peninsula. When we look at the fundamental principle underlying the formation of human culture, the place in which the united-civilization sphere of spring, summer, autumn, and winter can be formed is a place with climatic, conditions like Italy's. That is, the place where all kinds of civilization zones, such as temperate, tropical, cool, and frigid, can be produced and united into one is a nation like Italy. The fact that the culture that could control the world blossomed in the climatic conditions in Italy, which are a heavenly blessing, was not a historical accident but rather inevitable.
But Rome could not fulfill the historical mission with which it had been endowed by God, namely, the formation of the temperate-zone civilization of the spring season, sought by God and humankind on this earth, by restoring the whole world into one unity under the dominion of God, centering on the Roman empire. Consequently the temperate-zone culture that flowered in Rome could not continue and simply shriveled up along the way. That is why the temperate-zone culture could not blossom and come to fruition property in Rome. The Mediterranean-type civilization, which was flowering magnificently centering on ancient Rome but ultimately failed, is now returning. In that case, where will such a temperate-zone civilization, similar to the Mediterranean civilization, be born today? It is Korea, which is a peninsula nation like Italy.
If the cultural trend is moving from the western hemisphere to the eastern hemisphere, then there is no other peninsula nation like Italy that is similarly blessed in terms of climate and natural environment than the Korean peninsula. This is the place in which the new civilization, like to the Mediterranean civilization, can flower magnificently. Think about it! Korea is truly marvelous. The four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter are clearly distinguished, and the beauty of its scenery is such that the saying "embroidered rivers and mountains" is used to refer to our country. Furthermore, we even have the climatic phenomenon of "three cold days followed by four warm days" in the winter season here. Not only that, from ancient times our country has been referred to as "the Land of the Morning Calm." Also, if we look back over the history of the world, only our country in all the world has uniquely formed the "morning repast cultural sphere". In this way our country is sufficiently endowed with all kinds of objective potentialities to be the birthplace of the spring civilization. (1980.11.2) |