Ch.0 Intro Huh Kyung-young’s Spiritual Era Leading the World to a New Paradigm

English Title

The Era of Huh kyung young’s Spirituality Leading the World

Tags

“Spirituality, Holiness, Empyrean, Alpha, Cosmic Insight, Global Unification, Spiritual Energy”

1. Introduction to “The Era of Huh kyung young’s Spirituality Leading the World”

This book, authored and published by Huh kyung young through Alpha Inc., heralds the advent of a Spiritual Era led by Huh kyung young. It is presented as a guide for those seeking profound insights into the universe and human existence. The book is enriched with various elements to aid comprehension, including:

• Poetry and Dreams for Youth: Offering inspiration and vision.
• Q&A with Huh: Providing direct answers to fundamental questions.
• Personal Interviews: Revealing deeper perspectives.
• Illustrations and Diagrams: Including future blueprints personally drawn by Huh since childhood, enhancing comprehension.
  The text that acquiring and possessing this book is highly recommended, as it contains astonishing secrets that readers are destined to discover. It aims to deliver a message of hope not only to Korea but to the entire world. The spiritual protection offered by Huh kyung young is described as a formidable power, surpassing even the might of nuclear-armed nations.

2. Huh’s Purpose and Spiritual Abilities

This book serves as a proclamation of the Spiritual Era, guided by Huh kyung young, who is described as the embodiment of a cosmic seer, a divine incarnation from the Holy Holiness. In its pages, Huh elucidates the profound purpose and reasons for his advent on Earth. He also introduces and explains the myriad spiritual abilities he has brought from Heaven to fulfill this purpose. These include:

• Blessings and Cheonsa: Divine endowments.
• Super-Cosmic Spiritual Energy: A transcendent form of energy.
• Spiritual Superpowers: Extraordinary spiritual capabilities.
  These spiritual powers, manifested through his blessings, cheonsa, and super-cosmic spiritual energy, as well as through his name and image, are instruments for achieving Heaven’s will. They are destined to profoundly influence all aspects of human life, including health, daily living, and corporate management, thereby transforming human culture and industry. Huh asserts that his spiritual superpowers are the very core of true spirituality. He warns that any individual or enterprise lacking his spirituality will inevitably fall behind in the currents of the times and lose competitiveness. This signifies the unfolding of a Spiritual Era where his spirituality becomes the central theme and the guiding spirit of the age.

3. The Influx of Global Wealth and Wisdom

As global attention converges on Huh’s spirituality, Korea, as the origin of this spiritual movement, is expected to become a magnet for people worldwide. Alpha, with its blessings, cheonsa, and super-cosmic spiritual energy, will draw immense crowds, leading to a massive influx of global wealth into the nation. This natural progression will inevitably lead to Korea’s prosperity.

Furthermore, the book unveils numerous cosmic and human secrets. Through its teachings, individuals will gain profound comprehension of:

• The Creator of the Universe: The ultimate entity behind creation.
• Mysteries of the Universe and Earth: Unraveling the enigmas of existence.
• The Existence of God: Confirming divine presence.
• Cosmic Genesis: How the universe came into being.
• Purpose of Earth and Human Creation: The reasons behind our existence.
• Human Life and Death: Why humans are born, live finite lives, and face death.
• Inequality of Birth: comprehension why humans are not born equal.
• Meaning of Death and the Afterlife: Insights into what lies beyond.
• Purpose of Human Life: Discovering what goals humans should pursue and how they should live.

4. The Significance of Encountering Huh

A crucial aspect highlighted in the book is what humanity must do during Huh’s advent. Encountering this book is presented not as a mere coincidence, but as a testament to the reader’s accumulation of good deeds and blessings over countless past lives. Meeting Huh, the incarnation of the Creator, is an event that cannot occur by chance.

By recognizing Huh, individuals are offered an unparalleled opportunity to:

• Break Free from the Cycle of Reincarnation: Escaping the chains of hundreds of eons of rebirth.
• Ascend to Higher Dimensions: Not merely to a higher-dimensional universe than Earth, but to the ultimate realm of truth, goodness, and beauty – Empyrean, the central star of the universe. This is described as a rare opportunity, occurring once in a hundred million eons.

5. Korea’s Divine Mission and Huh’s Role

In this era where words, writing, and the Way have faltered, where morality has declined, and egoism runs rampant, Korea, historically known as the “Eastern Land of Courtesy” is divinely positioned to usher in a new age. Geographically, it is the birthplace of a new era, tasked with the mission of restoring human morality and leading the world towards a Harmonious Coexistence Era where all humanity can thrive together. Huh stands at the very center of fulfilling this sacred mission.

Huh is identified as:

• The Lamp of the East: As foretold by Rabindranath Tagore, the Indian poet laureate.
• The Superman on a White Horse: As sung by the poet Yi Yuk-sa.
  Huh, accompanied by holy armies and cheonsa, will lead the Korean people to establish a new order of coexistence and co-prosperity on Earth through divine justice, thereby unfolding the grand history of a paradise on Earth.

6. The Harmonious Coexistence Era and Global Unification

The Harmonious Coexistence Era is defined as a period where Huh, a perfect sage from Heaven, will:

• Address Environmental Disasters: Rectifying ecological imbalances caused by human selfishness and indiscriminate development.
• Achieve Global Unification: Based on principles of non-discrimination, no borders, and no war.
  This era will bring an end to the extreme conflicts and struggles that humanity has repeatedly endured, fostering a world of mutual benefit and harmony without discord. In this new era, the Korean people, alongside Huh, will play a pivotal role in ushering in this new age, fulfilling their divine mission by participating in Huh’s will.

Huh’s presence on Earth is not only to unify the world and resolve the material, spiritual, and environmental crises of the global village to establish a paradise on Earth, but also to enlighten and guide humanity. His name, Huh kyung young, is described as a cosmic code for the blessed, fulfilling the aspirations of all who invoke it. Those who align with his will are said to accumulate the highest blessings imaginable for a human being.

7. A Profound Aspiration for Truth

The text then borrows from a Buddhist gatha, expressing a deep aspiration:

• “The profound and subtle Dharma is difficult to encounter even in countless eons. Now that I have heard, seen, and received it, I earnestly wish to comprehend the true meaning of Huh’s words.”
  This sentiment encourages readers to approach the book with a similar reverence, hoping that all who read this book, imbued with Heaven’s blessings and profound wisdom, will achieve their heartfelt desires. This message was penned by Huh kyung young on August 20, 2021, at Alpha in Seokhyun-ri, “Township of perpetual prosperity”, “City of Flourishing Willows”, Kyung gi-do.

8. Huh’s Spirituality: Transforming Lives and Civilization

The introduction concludes with the powerful statement: ““My spirituality transforms human lives and human civilization.””

9. Table of Contents: An Overview of the Book’s Structure

The book is organized into four main sections:

9.1. Section 1: The Era of Huh kyung young’s Spirituality Dawns

• Chapter 1: Who is Huh kyung young?
  • Huh’s True Nature
  • Cosmic Dominator
  • The Guide and Creator of the Path
  • The Comforter
  • The Prophet, Pioneer, and Forerunner
  • Interviews: “Where did Huh come from?” “What does ‘Bongja’ mean?” “You are a secret royal inspector from Heaven?”
• Chapter 2: My Predestined Life
  • Conception and Incarnation
  • The Meaning and Power of Huh kyung young
  • Interviews: “Huh’s life has eight stages?” “What is the Saviour Code Magic Square?”
• Chapter 3: Proof of Huh
  • Ten Proofs Demonstrating Huh’s Identity
  • Twelve Miraculous Phenomena of Huh
  • Interviews: “What is the aura around Huh’s face?” “Huh kyung young possesses Super-Cosmic Spiritual Energy?”
• Chapter 4: Prophecies of My Coming
  • Holy Scripture “Chunbu kyung”
  • Prophetic Songs “Gyeokam Yurok”
  • Daejonggyo Scriptures “Daejonggyo Dojeon”
  • Jeungsanism Scriptures “Jeungsan-san”
  • The Bible
  • Interviews: “Who is the ‘Lamp of the East’ that will save humanity in this era of moral decay?” “Are Huh’s teachings verified?”
• Chapter 5: My Purpose on Earth
  • Global Crisis
  • World Unification
  • Heaven’s Judgment
  • The Adam Race
  • The Han Race and the Korean People
  • The Excellence of the Korean People
  • The Korean Peninsula: Land of Huh’s Advent
  • Interviews: “Huh’s purpose for coming to Earth?” “You are on a business trip to Earth?” “The Korean Peninsula: The one who unifies the world on horseback?” “Huh kyung young: The reason for world unification?” “Heaven’s Judgment: Collective and Individual Judgment.”

9.2. Section 2: The Era of Holy Governance Dawns

• Chapter 1: Nation and Citizens
  • Five Elements of a Nation
  • Five Virtues of Citizens
  • Citizens’ Rights
  • Three Conditions for Citizens
  • Democracy: Three Core Principles
  • Capitalism: Three Core Principles
  • Interviews: “Culture leads politics, religion, and economy?”
• Chapter 2: Theocracy and Centrist Ideology
  • Theocracy: Theocracy’s Flaws
  • Limitations of Democratic Politics
  • Three Elements of Unification
  • Theocratic Politics and Unification
  • Harmony without Discord vs. Discord without Harmony
  • World Unification and Korea
  • Establishment of a World Federation
  • Centrist Ideology
  • Interviews: “World Unification Ideology?” “Three Mountains of Centrist Ideology?”

9.3. Section 3: Cosmic Narratives that Astonish Scholars

• Chapter 1: Cosmic Evolution or Creation?
  • Genesis of All Things in the Universe
  • Constituent Materials of the Universe
  • Structure of Black Holes
  • The Solar System
  • Our Galaxy
  • Our Galactic Cluster
  • The Five Heavens of Empyrean
  • Interviews: “Creation and Evolution?” “Huh’s Super-Cosmic Spiritual Energy and the Theory of Relativity, String Theory?”
• Chapter 2: Rotation and Revolution, Andromeda

Vocabulary

• SpiritNatureTimeEra “SpiritNatureHourEra”: Spiritual Era
• 우주통찰자 “宇宙洞察者”: Cosmic Seer
• 본체 “本體”: True Essence / Original Form
• 화신 “TransformBody”: Incarnation
• 축복 “祝福”: Blessing
• 천사 “HeavenMessenger”: Cheonsa
• 초우주 영적 에너지 “超宇宙Spiritual的에너지”: Super-Cosmic Spiritual Energy
• 영적 초능력 “Spiritual的超能力”: Spiritual Superpowers
• 정력TimeEra “Right力HourEra”: Harmonious Coexistence Era
• 백궁 “WhiteHouse”: Empyrean

Ch.1 Huh Kyung-young The Divine Architect of a New Era

The Era of Huh kyung young Leading the World

1. Huh: Origin and Manifestation

Huh, a being without beginning or end, resides at the very core of the universe, in Empyrean, the highest of the 33 heavens. This creator, the universe’s true essence, can manifest in countless forms while remaining at the universe’s center. I am one such manifestation, a Holiness. Humanity can be categorized into ten types based on spiritual and mental development: commoner, ordinary person, petty person, great person, wise person, philosopher, spiritual master, saint, enlightened person, and Holiness. While 95% of humanity are commoners, the remaining 5% encompass the other nine categories. Political figures are often ordinary people, heroes are great people, and religious figures are saints. The Saviour or Maitreya, as spoken of by humans, corresponds to an enlightened person. Huh stands above the enlightened person, and I am the sole Huh on Earth. Huh, as a manifestation of the Creator, does not appear on Earth at just any time. Such a being arrives only in an era capable of transcending time and space. This is an age where advanced science and technology allow for instantaneous transmission of information across the globe. The internet and YouTube enable the divine message to reach humanity in real-time, making this truly an era of transcending time and space. This is one of the reasons for my advent in this era.

2. The Hierarchy of Human Spiritual Development

Humanity’s spiritual journey can be apprehended through distinct stages.

• Stage 1: The Materialist
  • These individuals are driven solely by material pursuits from beginning to end, chasing worldly possessions until their last breath.
• Stage 2: The Reputation Seeker
  • Initially, they prioritize honor and reputation, but ultimately, their focus shifts back to material gain.
• Stage 3: The Pleasure Seeker
  • They indulge in temporary pleasures, only to eventually face suffering and pain.
• Stage 4: The Endurer
  • These individuals experience hardship and struggle at first, but eventually find joy and contentment.
• Stage 5: The Sage
  • They embody the principle of “dying first to live later” finding life through self-sacrifice.
• Stage 6: The Philosopher
  • These individuals possess foresight, comprehension matters before others and dedicating themselves to teaching.
• Stage 7: The Spiritual Master
  • Having attained enlightenment, they utilize their wisdom for the benefit of all humanity.
• Stage 8: The Saint
  • They establish spiritual principles and found religions.
• Stage 9: The Enlightened One
  • These individuals empty themselves, transcending the ego to become one with the void.
• Stage 10: Huh
  • Their mission is to save and redeem humanity.

3. Huh’s Cosmic Origin and Eternal Existence

When asked about my origin, I reveal that I came from a star called Baekgung, approximately 12 billion light-years away from Earth. This star is the central star of the universe. In Baekgung, I govern the infinitely vast universe and its countless stars. While scientists estimate the number of stars to be hundreds of billions to trillions, this comprehension is incomplete. The universe is boundless, and the number of stars is infinite. My age is immeasurable, as eternal as the universe itself. The ancient Korean scripture, Chunbu kyung, speaks of “Bonsi Bontae Plushangmyeong” meaning the original sun rises high and shines brightly. This original sun is the source of all creation and the true essence of the universe. It represents the original mind-seat of the universe, and its light illuminates all beings and phenomena with immense brightness. “Bonsi Bontae Plushangmyeong” signifies that the universe’s true essence, possessing infinite spiritual energy, has descended to Earth to illuminate the world and send spiritual energy wherever it is desired. In accordance with Jesus’ prophecy of returning after 2,000 years at the end of times, the true essence manifested at the age of 57, commencing its mission to save humanity, thus beginning to illuminate the world. This manifested “Bonsi Bontae Plushangmyeong” is precisely Huh. Unlike the sun in the sky, which casts shadows, the true sun illuminates every corner of the world without exception. Its energy penetrates walls, passes through the Earth, and reaches the opposite side with equal intensity. “Bonsi Bontae Plushangmyeong” is truly the savior, delivering those suffering in darkness and shadow.

4. Huh as Master of Space and Creator of Paths

I am the master of space, capable of instantly infusing and withdrawing spiritual energy from all corners of the universe. I am also the ruler of the universe. My name, Huh kyung young, is a cosmic code. When written on paper or other objects, it is immediately recognized by the universe and instantly transmitted to all space and matter. This demonstrates my dominion over cosmic space and the material world. I am both the path to Baekgung and the one who created that path. While Buddha stated he was not the path but merely taught it, Jesus declared himself to be the way. However, I am both the path to the paradise and heaven that humans so yearn for, and the one who established that path. I am the Comforter mentioned in the Bible and the Gyukam’s legacy records. Jesus stated that while sins against him could be forgiven, there was no forgiveness for sins against the Comforter, and that the Comforter would judge sins. The Gyukam’s legacy records prophesied the advent of the Comforter.

5. Huh as Prophet, Enlightened One, and Pioneer

I am a prophet, an enlightened one, and a pioneer, possessing all these qualities that are difficult for ordinary people to achieve even one of. I accurately predicted that former President Park Geun-hye would win the election with 51% of the vote, but would not complete her five-year term, facing candlelight protests, calls for constitutional amendment, and impeachment within four years. When former U.S. President Trump was at the bottom of the polls during the Republican primary, I declared, “That man is the icon who will change the power of America” hinting at his presidential victory, which proves my prophetic ability. Furthermore, I am an enlightened one who foresaw the drastic decline in Korea’s marriage and birth rates, and a pioneer who, over 30 years ago, formulated and pursued concrete solutions to this impending crisis.

6. Huh as “Bonjwa” and Holy Inspector

Young people have also referred to me as “Bonjwa.” “Bonjwa” signifies the original seat, one who is revered, and a person who has descended from heaven. It also denotes the supreme being in a particular field. I appreciate this appellation. When asked about the meaning of “Bonjwa” I explain that it is a name given to me by netizens and the media, meaning “one who is revered” and “a person from heaven.” Unlike “Bonjon” in Buddhism, which refers to the central figure in a temple, “Bonjwa” signifies the highest seat in heaven. I am also referred to as a secret royal inspector who has descended from heaven. I have come to Earth to observe the actions of politicians and other powerful figures. My observations reveal widespread corruption among the social elite. While many citizens struggle, leaders are only enriching themselves. If I become the nation’s supreme leader, I intend to send corrupt social leaders to a leadership ethics training program. This can be done through presidential decree. All corrupt officials and social leaders will be mandated to attend this training upon receiving a summons. The difference between clean leadership, like President Park chung hee, and corrupt leadership, like President Marcos, explains why the Philippines, once at $220 GDP, grew only 14-fold to $3,000, while Korea grew 500-fold to $30,000. By replacing corrupt social leaders, our society can be completely transformed. Most crimes, such as fraud, robbery, and violence, stem from the corruption of the leadership. When I was the adopted son of Samsung Chairman Lee Byung-chul at 19, I implemented a policy where superiors could give gifts to subordinates, but subordinates could not give gifts to superiors. This led to a large corporation without labor unions or corruption. Similarly, for a nation to thrive and its citizens to be happy, its leaders must be clean. No matter how diligent the citizens are, if national leaders are corrupt, it is futile.

7. Huh’s Predetermined Life Journey

My predetermined life journey encompasses eight stages: descent, incarnation, governance, salvation, judgment, paradise, and ascension. This life course was pre-ordained in Empyrean. First, the true essence of Empyrean descends to Earth, taking over a woman’s womb through spiritual union. My early life was set to be extremely challenging, allowing me to experience the hardships of human existence and apprehend their pain. After adolescence, I was destined to experience the lives of the wealthy, corporate management, and even national governance, thereby comprehension the diverse facets of human life and the complexities of leading businesses and nations. Simultaneously, I was to master all human knowledge, ideologies, and religions, comprehending the human psyche and culture, thus completing my preparation to fulfill the true essence’s mission on Earth. Around the age of 57, I began to actively pursue my mission on Earth. To reform corrupt politics and establish a system where all can coexist and prosper, I entered politics and embarked on the path to becoming the nation’s supreme leader. I researched and announced 30 policies designed to completely transform the nation. I deliver lectures to humanity, guiding people towards a holy path and enabling beneficial individuals to participate in the history of heaven, disseminating these messages globally via YouTube. During this process, while heaven judges humanity, Huh saves those in need. Ultimately, I aim to establish a middle-class system not only in Korea but worldwide, so that all people can live dignified lives, free from the struggles of basic survival. I will pursue world unification to eliminate hunger, refugees, and war. Thus, the world will become an earthly paradise, a peaceful era governed by Huh. My stay on Earth is for a predetermined period of 100 years, 8 months, and 18 days. After fulfilling my mission during this time, I will return to Empyrean.

8. Incarnation and Early Life

My father was Jo Nam-hee, of the Huh clan, holding the title of baron, and my mother was Jo Nam-eun, of the Haman Jo clan, holding the title of scholar. Their names, when interpreted together, signify “permitting the planting of trees of the trigrams of heaven and earth in the southern land” hinting at my identity and future mission. My father, a wealthy landowner, was accused of being a communist by other landlords for distributing his fields to tenant farmers without charge. He was imprisoned in Seoul as a political offender and executed just before the Korean War. My mother, seeking revenge for my father, moved from her hometown in Jinju, Kyung sangnam-do, to Seoul, where she prayed under the Jungnangcheon Bridge, plotting her revenge. During her quest for revenge, my mother had a mysterious dream and conceived a child alone. This was the incarnation, the process by which the divine borrows a woman’s body to manifest as a human. Conception without a man is called spiritual union. I was born two years after my father’s death, on November 13, 1949, by the lunar calendar, and January 1, 1950, by the solar calendar, though my official registration is July 13, 1947, due to personal circumstances. On January 1, 1950, I came into this world. It was the descent of Huh. During the severe winter, my mother lost consciousness from the cold during childbirth. In that moment, cheonsa came, cut the umbilical cord, and placed the newborn beside my mother. My life after birth unfolded exactly as predetermined. My early life was set to be one of poverty and hardship, providing me with experiences that would serve as a foundation for comprehension how to improve the lives of Earth’s inhabitants. Becoming the adopted son of Lee Byung-chul, the head of Samsung, Korea’s top conglomerate, to experience corporate management, and advising President Park chung hee on policy, were all part of this predetermined plan. Studying the religions, ideologies, laws, and systems of Earth’s inhabitants was also a pre-set task. This thorough comprehension of human life is essential for me to properly save humanity.

9. Huh’s Eight Stages of Existence

My life journey consists of eight stages, twice as many as the four stages of human life, because I belong to the universe of Empyrean. Humans are born on Earth, die on Earth, and are repeatedly reborn on Earth until they become fully human. The four stages of human life are birth, growth, aging, and death, through which they undergo spiritual growth in the womb of Earth before leaving it when they become fully human. My eight stages are: descending from Empyrean, incarnating through a woman’s womb, observing Earth’s affairs, unifying the world, saving humanity, creating an earthly paradise, and ascending back to Empyrean. “Hacheon” means descending from Empyrean, and “Seongcheon” means ascending back to Empyrean.

10. The Meaning and Authority of the Name Huh kyung young

My name, Huh kyung young, was given to me by my Father in Empyrean. It means “permission to bring peace to the capital.” This name hints at my future role in unifying and governing the world. Korea’s capital is surrounded by Beijing, Xi’an, Nanjing in China, and Tokyo in Japan, making it the central capital of all world capitals. My name, Huh kyung young, is the supreme incantation. Chanting my name can fulfill wishes. People of other religions can also achieve the same effect by adding “Huh kyung young” at the end of their prayers. The Heart Sutra in Buddhism refers to “Aje Aje Bara Aje” as the supreme incantation. However, the name Huh kyung young is truly the ultimate incantation. “Huh kyung young, the era of the divine mantra, the era of the bright mantra, the era of the supreme mantra, the era of the ultimate mantra, Huh kyung young.” This is the greatest, brightest, and highest incantation; no other incantation surpasses it.

11. The Numerological Significance of the Name

Numbers hold meaning beyond their simple value. Some numbers possess spiritual energy, while others do not. The number of strokes in a name also influences the destiny of its bearer. Therefore, a child’s name should not be chosen carelessly; it is advisable to consult an expert. Numerologically, my name, Huh kyung young, has 11 strokes for “Huh” 8 for “Kyung” and 14 for “Young” totaling 33 strokes. The number 33 signifies a powerful, rising morning sun, representing a future full of promise and influence that resonates throughout the world. It is a number that overcomes all obstacles and ultimately achieves great aspirations. The number 33 is special. My Empyrean also corresponds to the 33 heavens. The number 33 is also found in the Saviour Code magic square carved into the walls of Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Europe. The Saviour Code suggests that when Jesus, who ascended at 33, returns as the Saviour, he will bear a name with 33 strokes. The individual stroke counts of my name also align with the initial numbers of the magic square that forms the Saviour Code 33. “Huh” has 12 strokes, “Kyung” has 8 strokes, and “Young” has 14 strokes “1+13”, totaling 33 strokes. In Chinese characters, my name also aligns with the Saviour Code in the European cathedral. These stroke counts indicate that I am the Saviour who has come from heaven. Furthermore, the surname “Huh” embodies the meaning of the word of the person above the cross, which is the word of God. I urge you to directly examine the Saviour Code magic square diagram. Please see how the 4×4, 16-cell square is filled on page 33 of this book. When asked about the Saviour Code magic square, I explain that the Sagrada Familia, Europe’s largest cathedral, has a magic square on its wall that implies, “The Saviour who will appear in the future will come with a name of 33 strokes” and that Jesus ascended at 33. The Saviour Code magic square alludes to Jesus’ ascension at 33 and the 33 strokes of the Saviour’s name who will come to Earth in the future, indicating that the Saviour possesses 33 proofs of having come from heaven. I indeed have 33 characteristics of having come from heaven and possess many supernatural powers. The one who came from heaven to eliminate nuclear weapons, halt global warming, and prevent resource wars by unifying the world is not a specific religious leader. The Saviour should not be a religious or political leader, nor hold any official title or position, because those with titles or affiliations tend to have biases. Therefore, the Saviour comes subtly, in disguise. Children, from elementary to university students, are so enthusiastic about me because if a child does not like someone, they cannot enter heaven. Many young people and children worldwide chant my name three times a day. This is because I have come from heaven.

태그: “Holiness, Empyrean, Cosmic Origin, Spiritual Hierarchy, Predetermined Life”

Vocabulary

• 신인: Holiness
• 백궁: Empyrean
• 화신체: Manifestation
• 시공 초월 TimeEra: Era of Transcending Time and Space
• 속인: Materialist
• 범인: Reputation Seeker
• 지인: Enlightened One
• 보혜사: Comforter
• 선지자: Prophet
• 본좌: Revered One

ch.2 The Divine Proofs and Prophecies of Huh Kyung-young

The Era of Huh kyung young’s Spirituality Leads the World

1. The Ten Proofs of Huh’s Divinity

Huh demonstrates his divine nature through ten distinct proofs. These include Level, Blessing, Holy Spirit and Cheonsa, Lifespan, Healing, Prophecy, Visitations, O-ring Test, Transcendence of Space-Time, and Spiritual Energy.

1.1. Level: Determining One’s Destination in Empyrean

Level refers to a spiritual ranking that determines which of the five great palaces of Empyrean an individual will ascend to.

• Structure of Empyrean: Empyrean consists of five grand palaces. The highest is the Main Empyrean, followed by the Fourth, Third, Second, and First Empyreans. Each Empyrean has three grades, from first to third, to which corresponding individuals are assigned.
• Ascending Levels: Those who believe in and follow Huh kyung young will attain higher levels, leading them to superior Empyreans.
• Method of Elevation: To raise one’s level, one must believe in Huh kyung young, chant the supreme cosmic mantra “Huh kyung young” or participate in his endeavors.
• Permanence of Level: Once a level is attained, it never decreases.
• Verification: One’s level can be verified through an O-ring Test.

1.2. Blessing: The Ultimate Fortune

Blessing is bestowed by Huh and represents the greatest fortune one can experience in this life.

• Scope of Blessing: It encompasses not only the recipient’s current wealth and glory but also extends to all their possessions, the numbers they use, their homes, schools, workplaces, and even the ancestral graves of their forefathers.
• Karma Eradication: All negative karma accumulated in the recipient’s current and past lives is extinguished.
• Healing Power: There are frequent reports of COVID-19 patients being healed within a day or a few days after receiving a Blessing.
• Universal Application: Blessings can be given to both living and non-living entities. For instance, a Blessing given to the moon can instantly make it brighter, larger, and rounder, a phenomenon observed and photographed by his supporters during night hikes.

1.3. Holy Spirit and Cheonsa: Guardians of Health and Decision-Making

The Holy Spirit bestowed upon humans by Huh manifests as Cheonsa.

• Health Benefits: When these Cheonsa enter the body and their spiritual energy is received, one’s health improves.
• Guidance in Decisions: Cheonsa possess complete knowledge, allowing individuals to make infallible decisions by consulting them through an O-ring Test.
• Types of Cheonsa: There are Perfect Cheonsa, archangel, and General Cheonsa.
  • General Cheonsa: These cheonsa may depart if one speaks ill of others or if a question posed to them yields a negative answer. They are categorized into five types: Fundamental Cheonsa “governing genetic hormones”, Skin Cheonsa “governing skin”, Organ Cheonsa “governing internal organs”, Muscle Cheonsa “governing muscles”, and Body Cheonsa “governing the entire body”.
  • Perfect Cheonsa: These cheonsa possess far greater abilities, including those of General Cheonsa, and are comprised of approximately 100 cheonsa.
  • Permanence: While General Cheonsa may depart, Perfect Cheonsa and archangel, once received, never leave under any circumstances. This makes them invaluable for individuals in professions requiring frequent critical decisions, such as police, legal professionals, and corporate executives.

1.4. Lifespan: Divine Control Over Life’s Duration

Huh possesses the power to arbitrarily extend or shorten human lifespans.

• Extension of Life: Many individuals have had their lifespans extended by him, a fact verifiable through the O-ring Test.
• Divine Prerogative: Extending a lifespan through mere words or thoughts, without scientific intervention, is an act exclusive to the divine.
• Hundred Meridians: Humans maintain physical and mental health when their hundred meridians are closed. If these meridians open, negative energies can invade the body, leading to various illnesses. Huh can control the opening and closing of these meridians.

1.5. Healing: Spiritual Superpower

Healing is a spiritual superpower that Huh has demonstrated for a long time.

• Method: It involves resolving a person’s problems simply by looking at them, speaking to them, or focusing his thoughts, without any medical intervention. This is a form of spiritual communication.
• Requirement of Faith: The recipient’s faith is crucial for this power to manifest. If one approaches him merely to test his abilities, the power will not be activated as their intentions are perceived.
• Documented Cases: Numerous individuals have experienced the effects of this ability. A renowned physician, Dr. “Name withheld”, even signed a contract to scientifically study his abilities after experiencing them firsthand.

1.6. Prophecy: Specific and Accurate Foresight

Huh’s prophecies are renowned for their specificity and accuracy.

• Notable Prophecies:
  • He famously predicted that former President Park Geun-hye would win the 18th presidential election with 51% of the vote but would be ousted from the Blue House within four years, leading to public protests and a failed constitutional amendment.
  • He foretold the death of Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee a week in advance.
  • He predicted Donald Trump’s election as president, calling him an “icon and hope for America” when Trump was last in the party primaries.
  • He prophesied a “thousand-year plague war” in the Year of the Rat “Gyeongja-nyeon”, all of which came to pass.
  • For the Year of the Ox “Sinchuk-nyeon”, he predicted a year more difficult than an economic crisis, with a surge in suicides due to worsening economic conditions for self-employed individuals, which is currently being observed.
• Distinction from Other Predictions: His prophecies are distinct from those of shamans or scientific predictions, characterized by their profound detail.

1.7. Visitations: Appearing in Dreams and Auras

Huh often visits people in their dreams, a phenomenon experienced by many worldwide, sometimes repeatedly.

• Spiritual Awakening: These dream visitations serve as a spiritual awakening, signaling his presence in this world from the unseen realm.
• Spiritual Communication: While he appears in dreams, it is not his physical body but his spiritual communication and the work of the unseen world surrounding him that manifest.
• Aura Observations: Many have witnessed his aura, a white spiritual body enveloping him when he bestows super-cosmic spiritual energy.
  • Distinction from Ordinary Auras: While ordinary people also have auras “visible with special cameras, usually yellow, indigo, or red”, his white aura is so intensely powerful that it can be seen with the naked eye without special equipment.
  • Angelic Presence: This powerful spiritual energy and white aura are manifested through the presence of cheonsa accompanying him.
  • Holiness’s Explanation: He explains that the circular aura around his face, often seen by nuns, priests, and pastors, is due to the cheonsa who accompanied him from the center of the universe. These cheonsa act on his behalf, healing the sick through his gaze and performing numerous superpowers.

1.8. The Role of Aura, Light, and Cheonsa

The aura, light, and cheonsa play crucial roles in Huh’s divine activities.

• Accompanying Out-of-Body Experiences: They accompany him daily when he performs out-of-body experiences, visiting the holy realm.
• Spiritual Superpowers: They manifest spiritual superpowers when he looks at sick individuals.
• Managing Spiritual Energy: Cheonsa manage the super-cosmic spiritual energy when he conducts “gaze lectures” or when people think of or call his name.

1.9. Transcendence of Space-Time: Instantaneous Cosmic Influence

Huh can transcend space-time to exert his abilities.

• Cosmic Energy Infusion: When he infuses the spiritual energy of the Main God and Main Sun into the universe, the spiritual energy of the entire universe instantly descends. This can be verified by an O-ring Test in Italy, even if the energy was infused in Korea.
• Planetary Transformation: Infusing spiritual energy into the moon or Earth causes instantaneous changes.
• Astral Projection: He can instantly project his spiritual body 109,000 light-years from Earth, allowing him to travel between his dreams and Earth daily, a dimension shift incomprehensible to humans.

1.10. Spiritual Energy Skill: Control Over Cosmic Power

Huh can operate super-powerful cosmic spiritual energy as he wills.

• Manipulation of Energy: He can infuse or withdraw spiritual energy, and even use it to give life or take it away. He can also transform distant objects.
• Source of Power: He explains that he brought numerous cosmic abilities from Empyrean to save Earth.
• Verification through O-ring Test: Anyone can verify his super-cosmic spiritual energy by calling his name and performing an O-ring Test. When one thinks of his name or sees his face, 109 “power outlets” are instantly connected.
• Connection to Creator: Calling “Huh kyung young” connects one to the Creator of Heaven, allowing wishes to be fulfilled. He acts as a “seal” that enables this connection.
• O-ring Test Demonstration: The O-ring Test involves pressing the thumb and ring finger together firmly. When calling the name of another person or object, the fingers easily separate. However, when calling his name, the finger strength increases a thousandfold.

2. Huh’s Twelve Divine Powers

Throughout history, individuals who practiced spiritual disciplines sometimes exhibited extraordinary abilities, known as “Tong” “powers”. While some achieved six such powers, Huh possesses twelve divine powers.

• Yeokpungtong “Power of Subjugation”: The ability to remove and subdue an opponent’s strength. This also includes the ability to see the future.
• Yeokam-tong “Power of Empathy”: The ability to deeply apprehend and empathize with people’s inner difficulties and the workings of heaven. This power led him to conceive of policies like the National Dividend.
• Spirit-Through “Power of Healing”: The ability to heal others’ illnesses by merely looking at them or focusing his thoughts.
• As-Longevity-Through “Power over Lifespan”: The ability to control his own and others’ lifespans.
• As-Illusion-Through “Power of Transformation”: The ability to transform and appear in others’ dreams or lives. Through this power, he appears in dreams worldwide.
• As-Eye-Through “Power of Clairvoyance”: The ability to see distant or extremely subtle things.
• Yeoyitong “Power of Clairaudience”: The ability to hear even faint sounds.
• Yeojoktong “Power of Accelerated Movement”: The ability to perform “Chukjibeop” “ShrinkLandMethod”, a legendary technique of reducing distance.
• Yeowootong “Power of Weather Control”: The ability to control weather, such as making it rain or stop.
• As-Destiny-Through”Power of Past and Future Lives”: The ability to see others’ past and future lives. This power also includes comprehension people’s professions and circumstances to help them find suitable jobs.
• Yeolsimtong “Power of Mind Reading”: The ability to enter and exit others’ minds.
• As-Time-Through “Power of Celestial Movement”: The ability to move or control stars as desired.

2.1. The Three Suns Phenomenon

When Huh visited Mihwangsa Temple in Gangjin-gun, Jeonlanam-do, three suns appeared in the sky, each about 100 meters apart.

• Symbolism: This phenomenon, occurring around 6 PM on August 7, 2010, was a celestial commemoration of his visit with two companions, signifying that three individuals had arrived.
• Divine Power: This was a demonstration of his As-Time-Through , the power to move celestial bodies.
• Witness: The head monk of Mihwangsa Temple, Geumgang Seunim, who witnessed the three suns, is a definitive witness to this spiritual ability.

3. Miraculous Phenomena

Numerous miraculous events occur in connection with Huh, his name, and his image.

• Milk Transformation: If his name, “Huh kyung young” is called over milk, it does not spoil but turns into cheese. This can be verified by anyone through a simple experiment:
  • Pour identical milk into two containers. Place one far away and call “Huh kyung young” over the other. Then, place both under the same conditions and observe their state over time.
  • After about ten days, the milk over which his name was called will smell like fermented yogurt and be fermenting, while the other will begin to smell rancid.
  • After about 15 days, the milk called with his name will have solidified into cheese, while the other will be covered in black mold and emit a foul odor.
• Cake Preservation: A large cake at Alpha, gifted by a supporter, has not spoiled for years, only slightly changing shape due to moisture evaporation.
• Water Particle Transformation: Speaking his name over water causes its particles to become spherical. Drinking water after calling his name prevents indigestion.
• Photo Effects: Similar phenomena occur with his photographs. Placing his picture in a home prevents negative energies from entering and eliminates underground water veins.
• O-ring Test with His Name: When one thinks of, sees, or calls his name, the body’s immunity and energy become incredibly strong, and an O-ring Test will show that the fingers do not separate. However, when calling the names of the 7.8 billion people on Earth, the strength diminishes.

4. The O-ring Test: A Scientific Verification of Energy

The O-ring Test is a method to assess the effect of specific substances on an individual by measuring changes in the strength of their thumb and index finger, held in a circle.

• Principle: It applies the principle that positive stimuli strengthen muscle power, while negative stimuli weaken it.
• Origin: Developed in the early 1970s by Japanese physician Yoshiaki Omura in the United States, it is also known as the Omura Test.
• Application: To measure muscle strength, a substance “Food, medicine, etc.” is placed in one hand, and the O-ring Test is performed on the other hand to determine its positive or negative impact on the body.

5. Prophecies of Huh’s Advent

Numerous religious and national scriptures, as well as prophetic texts, contain predictions about Huh’s arrival.

5.1. Chunbu kyung “Holy Code”

The Chunbu kyung, an 81-character Korean scripture created ten thousand years ago, centrally prophesies that the alter ego of the cosmic entity will visit Earth.

• Key Verses:
  • “When Jesus returns at 33, the Huh kyung young will form a ring at 57.”
  • “The cosmic entity is profound and wanders the universe, yet its essence remains unchanged despite countless transformations.”
  • “The true heart, the true sun, brightly illuminates the world, uniting heaven and earth within humanity.”

5.2. Gyukam’s legacy records “Records of Gyeogam”

The Gyukam’s legacy records, also known as the Namsago Prophecy, is a Korean prophetic text about the future, said to have been received by Namsago from a divine being in his youth.

• Era of Appearance: It states that a divine being will appear in the “Ocean of Letters Era” “Sea印HourEra”, a time when words, scriptures, and the Way are severed, and thieves fall upon the land, yet also a time when “seals” “Knowledge” are as numerous as the sea. This “Ocean of Letters Era” refers to the information age, characterized by abundant texts, videos, and the development of the internet.
• Description of Huh: In this era, a divine being, who seems human but is not, will emerge from the Korean Peninsula, which resembles an island but is not. He will have no discernible surname and no earthly father. Though a sacred emperor, people will not recognize him, leading Namsago to lament this regrettable situation.
• Mission: This sacred emperor will govern the world with the true Way, judge humanity, guide approximately ten million people to Empyrean, and transform Earth into a paradise.

5.3. Prophecies Regarding Huh’s Location, Time, and Appearance

The Gyukam’s legacy records provides specific prophecies about Huh’s advent.

• Location:
  • “The sacred mountains, sacred lands, and places of ‘cow-mooing’ sounds in Korea, which I have thoroughly surveyed.”
  • “The divine being appears from a place like an island, yet not an island.” “Referring to the Korean Peninsula”.
• Time:
  • “Eon-eo-do-dan” “WordSpeakWay斷”: A time when words, writing, and the Way are severed.
  • “Ocean of Letters Era” “Sea印HourEra”: The internet age.
  • “When the Eastern energy begins, the Emperor appears.”
  • “In the Last Days, people will not recognize the new Emperor.”
  • “When Western energy comes to the East, ‘cow-mooing’ sounds will be heard.”
  • “The Comforter Spirit appears in the Ocean of Letters Era.”
  • “When the time comes, the divine descends, but people will not know the time.”
• Appearance:
  • “A divine being appears, who seems human but is not.” “Meaning he has a human form but is a divine being”.
  • “The divine being uses the ‘Ocean of Letters Law’ to work.” “The Ocean of Letters Law prophesies that he will reveal himself and spread his teachings globally through the internet and YouTube”.
  • “He has no discernible surname and is a son without a father.” “This refers to a celestial being entering a woman’s womb through spiritual union and incarnating”.
  • “The sound of a cow’s moo fills the internet.” “This describes his lectures being disseminated to people via YouTube”.
• People’s Reaction:
  • “In the Last Days, people will not recognize the sacred emperor who has come.”
  • “It is regrettable that the people of the world do not know the divine being.”

5.4. Huh’s Mission

The prophecies also outline Huh’s mission.

• Governing with the Right Way: “The divine being will govern the world with the right Way amidst a multitude of people.”
• New Era: “The entire Earth will experience its first supreme fortune since creation.”
• Global Unification and Paradise: “This signifies global unification and the establishment of a thousand-year earthly paradise.”
• Thousand-Year Great Fortune: “This prophesies that the divine being will unify East and West, establish a new era of peace and governance for a thousand years.”

5.5. Jeungsan-gyo “Jeungsanism”

Kang Jeungsan, the founder of the Jeungsan-gyo lineage of Korean indigenous religions, stated that the “Great Leader” would come from “outside the framework” meaning not from within existing religions but from outside them.

5.6. The Bible “Christian Scripture”

The Christian Bible speaks of the Comforter “Holy Spirit” and the advent of the Thousand-Year Kingdom.

• John 16:7: “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you” prophesying the coming of the Comforter.
• Luke 12:10 & Matthew 12:31-32: These verses warn that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit “Huh” will not be forgiven, neither in this age nor in the age to come.
• Revelation: The Book of Revelation prophesies the coming of the Thousand-Year Kingdom.
• Matthew 25: This chapter warns brides “humanity” to prepare oil and stay awake for the coming of the bridegroom “Huh”.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:1: “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” indicating that Huh will not come in a conspicuous manner.

5.7. Tuibeitu “Push Back Map”

The Tuibeitu is a Chinese prophetic text passed down since the Tang Dynasty. Five of its 60 prophecies, yet to be fulfilled, concern the Last Days and Heaven.

• Holy Child: It states that a “Holy Child” will appear from a place of conflict, pacify warring factions, end wars, and establish a peaceful holy kingdom free of strife. This “Holy Child” can be interpreted as Huh.
• 57th Prophecy: “He who borrowed things will surely return them. Iron will eliminate poison. My nation will fear and obey a three-foot child.”
  • “Water and fire will clash until they see the Holy Child.”
  • “Heaven will make this person stop the killing machines.”
  • “An unbelievably talented person will appear in May from a place of conflict, and through this person, both East and West will withdraw their armies.”
• 59th Prophecy: “No borders, no government, no ‘you’ and ‘I’; the world will become one family, achieving great harmony.”
  • “One person will choose the best decisions for global happiness through divination, and there will be no distinction of race; East, West, North, and South will all unite as one.”
• Abundant Prophecies: Many other prophecies also foretell the coming of the divine, global unification, and an era of great peace.

6. Huh’s Identity and Mission

Huh clarifies the meaning of these prophecies and his role.

• Eon-eo-do-dan Ocean of Letters Era: This refers to the 21st century, a time when words, religion, and truth are severed, and Huh kyung young appears. The “Ocean of Letters Era” signifies the internet age, where “letters are as numerous as the sea” and Huh kyung young, as the popular president of the youth, will achieve world unification.
• His Name in Prophecy: His name, “Huh kyung young” is implicitly contained within ancient texts, prophesying that a “Huh” “Allow” family member will appear in the Ocean of Letters Era to unify the world.
  • “In the Ocean of Letters Era, when words, religion, and truth are severed, a ‘Huh’ “Allow” with a charming face, perfect speech, writing, and judgment will come with holy power.”
  • “He will destroy soldiers in the main battlefield, empty the ‘Kim’ “Metal” surname, and become ‘Huh’ “Allow”, achieving world unification.”
• The Eastern Root to Save Humanity: Korean prophecies state that the “Eastern Root” who comes to the Korean Peninsula to save humanity and Earth will have the surname “Huh” “Allow”, with 11 strokes in the surname and 33 strokes in the full three-character name.
  • Meaning of “Huh”: The character “Huh” “Allow” means “a person on a cross.” Adding “words” to it signifies “the words of a person on a cross” or “the words of Heaven” which is the Saviour. This is why the “Huh” surname has been recognized since Gojoseon.
  • Saviour’s Arrival: The Saviour cannot come as a religious leader because other religions would oppose him. He comes “like a thief.”
• Why Korea? He came to Korea, a small nation, because it is shaped like a horse, the Korean people are descendants of Heaven, and it is a potential flashpoint for World War III and nuclear war.
• Criteria for the Saviour: The Saviour must have the surname “Huh” a total of 33 strokes in the name, and the meaning of the name must be “Saviour.” He must also possess three specific divine signs, not be a leader of any religion, hold no official position, and be free of prejudice. He fulfills all these criteria. Initially, adults will call him crazy, but young people will be enthusiastic and passionate about him.

7. Huh’s IQ: Proof of Celestial Origin

Huh’s IQ was measured under extreme secrecy by President Park chung hee, using a special brain measurement method by a psychology professor.

• Limitations of Korean Measurement: At the time, Korea had no experience measuring IQs above 150, as such individuals were rare.
• International Standards: In Europe and the United States, IQs up to 200-230 were measurable, and methods existed.
• His IQ Calculation: He solved 60 problems in 13 minutes and 20 seconds. Using the formula “60 / time taken in minutes” * 100 – age, his IQ was calculated as 430.
• Proof of Divine Origin: An IQ of 430 is impossible for a human, serving as one of the proofs that he came from Heaven.

Tags

“Holiness, Spirituality, Empyrean, Blessing, Cheonsa, Prophecy, Healing, O-ring Test, Cosmic Energy, Saviour”

Vocabulary

• 신인 “GodHuman”: Holiness
• 백궁 “WhiteHouse”: Empyrean
• SpiritNature “SpiritNature”: Spirituality
• 축복 “祝福”: Blessing
• 성령 “SaintSpiritual”: Holy Spirit
• 천사 “HeavenMessenger”: Cheonsa
• 수명 “LongevityDestiny”: Lifespan
• 치유 “Govern癒”: Healing
• 예언 “PredictWord”: Prophecy
• 시공초월 “HourEmptiness超越”: Transcendence of Space-Time
• 영적 에너지 “Spiritual的 에너지”: Spiritual Energy
• 오링 테스트 “O-ring Test”: O-ring Test
• 업장 “業障”: Karma
• 백회”百太”: Hundred Meridians
• 영통 “SpiritualThrough”: Spiritual Communication/Divine Power
• 격암유록 “Investigate庵遺錄”: Gyukam’s legacy records “Records of Gyeogam”
• 해인TimeEra “Sea印HourEra”: Ocean of Letters Era “Era of the Sea of Seals/Information Age”
• 천부경 “HeavenSymbolScripture”: Chunbu kyung “Holy Code”
• 보혜사 “保惠Master”: Comforter “Paraclete”
• 천년왕국 “ThousandYear王Nation”: Thousand-Year Kingdom
• 추배도 “Push-Back-Diagram”: Tuibeitu “Push Back Map”
• 대두목 “BigHead目”: Great Leader
• 동방의 탕 뿌리 “EastSquare의 湯 뿌리”: Eastern Root “Saviour from the East”
• 획수 “劃數”: Stroke Count “of a character”

ch.3 Huh Kyung-young’s Spiritual Era A Divine Mission to Save Earth

Huh’s Purpose on Earth: Leading the Spiritual Era

Tags: “Spiritual Era, Global Unification, Environmental Restoration, Humanity’s Salvation, Korean Peninsula”

1. Huh’s Mission: Preventing Global Catastrophe and Establishing Paradise

Huh’s arrival on Earth from Empyrean is for a singular, profound purpose: to achieve global unification, thereby restoring the Earth’s environment, eradicating starvation, eliminating the threat of nuclear war, and ultimately preventing the destruction of both Earth and humanity. Furthermore, Huh aims to guide humanity and establish a system where all can coexist and prosper, transforming Earth into a paradise.

2. Earth’s Dire Crisis: A Multitude of Human-Made Challenges

Currently, the global community faces insurmountable challenges stemming from human ignorance and greed.

• Environmental Degradation:

  • Soil and water are severely polluted by pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and detergents, leading to the demise of land and the bleaching of oceans.
  • Deforestation, exhaust emissions, and methane gas from mass animal farming accelerate global warming.
  • The use of Freon gas depletes the ozone layer, and raising animals for meat destroys pastures, further deteriorating the planet.
  • If this continues, Earth’s environment will be irreversibly damaged, potentially leading to its ultimate end.

• Starvation and Misallocation of Resources:

  • Countless individuals worldwide perish from starvation.
  • Paradoxically, some nations discard or bury agricultural produce during abundant harvests to protect their farmers or for political reasons.
  • Meanwhile, significant resources are spent on non-essentials, highlighting a severe imbalance.

• Refugee Crises:

  • Wars and conflicts generate vast numbers of refugees globally.
  • Many of these displaced individuals find no sanctuary and perish adrift at sea.

• Threat of Nuclear War:

  • A third world war, if it occurs, would be a nuclear conflict, leading to the annihilation of humanity.
  • Such a war would inflict unimaginable devastation, potentially reducing humanity to a fraction of its current population.

3. The Era of Materialism and Moral Decay

Human society has plunged into an age of extreme self-interest and materialism, where morality and human compassion have vanished, replaced by the worship of wealth.

• Money as a Deity: Money has usurped the place of divinity, even replacing religion in both Eastern and Western societies.
• Erosion of Family Bonds: The relentless pursuit of wealth leads to familial strife, turning siblings into enemies and inciting violence over inheritance.
• Loss of Moral Discourse: This is an era where words, actions, and moral principles have all been severed, signifying a complete loss of human compassion and ethics.

4. Deepening Wealth Disparity and Political Corruption

Despite economic development driven by technological revolution and capitalism, wealth increasingly concentrates in the hands of a few.

• Concentration of Wealth: In some nations, a small percentage of the population controls the majority of the wealth, while rising real estate prices make life difficult for the majority.
• Systemic Corruption: This disparity arises because politicians, often in collusion with capitalists, create laws and systems that favor the wealthy, exacerbating the rich-get-richer, poor-get-poorer phenomenon.
• Violation of Coexistence: This directly contradicts the principle of human coexistence and mutual aid.
• Global Political Influence: Globally, a small number of wealthy individuals manipulate politicians, contributing to this systemic issue.

5. The Failure of Communism and Persistent Self-Interest

The wealth disparity inherent in capitalism historically led to the rise of communism.

• Communist Ideology and Its Consequences:

  • Communism, based on materialism, rejected spiritual beliefs and focused on class struggle, resulting in countless casualties during its attempts to dismantle capitalism.
  • It also overlooked human self-interest, leading to decreased productivity and widespread poverty.
  • Despite advocating for equality through collective production and distribution, communist ruling classes monopolized wealth and power, ultimately leading to its collapse.
  • China, while politically socialist, has embraced capitalism economically, intensifying wealth disparity.

• National Self-Interest: Leaders worldwide prioritize only their national interests, disregarding global coexistence.

  • For example, China’s industrial zones on its eastern coast emit massive pollutants, causing fine dust and yellow dust that affect neighboring countries like Korea and Japan, yet no measures are taken.
  • Such leaders are reluctant to address shared global challenges, focusing solely on their own nation’s safety and benefits.

6. Huh’s Inevitable Intervention: A Divine Highway Patrol

The dire state of Earth and human society necessitated Huh’s intervention.

• The Analogy of a Highway Shoulder: Huh explains the reason for coming to Earth using the analogy of a blocked highway needing a shoulder.

  • The “highway” represents humanity’s path, and it is “blocked” because humans have broken their promises to Heaven.
  • The “shoulder” signifies Huh’s role in resolving the crises.

• Huh’s Specific Objectives:

  • Global Unification: To unify the 230 nations to resolve conflicts, including weapon wars, dimensional wars, nuclear wars, territorial wars, ethnic wars, and currency wars, which humans cannot solve on their own.
  • Environmental Restoration: To address the rapid deterioration of Earth’s environment.
  • Nuclear Disarmament: To eliminate all nuclear weapons, especially given that underground nuclear tests are rapidly melting glaciers.
  • Spiritual Advancement: To help the 99% of humanity who are stuck in the “Earth planet school” a spiritual training ground, graduate and ascend to Empyrean.

7. Huh’s Divine Journey and Earthly Mission

Huh travels to Empyrean every night, a journey of 12 billion light-years at the speed of light, returning in about 10 minutes of Earth time through astral projection.

• A Business Trip to Earth: This can be seen as a “business trip” to Earth, necessitated by the current era of moral decay, environmental pollution, and the risk of Earth’s destruction.
• Solving Global Challenges: Huh asserts that all global challenges can be resolved once Huh becomes the supreme leader of Korea, leading to the unification of Asia and then the world.
• The Great World Federation: This unified world will be called the “Great World Federation” where nations, similar to U.S. states within a federal government, will collaboratively address issues like environment, starvation, refugees, and war under Huh’s guidance.
• Borderless World: Ultimately, the world will be unified, borders will disappear, and global communication will become seamless.

8. The Prophecy of the Korean Peninsula and Huh’s Role

Ancient prophecies speak of a leader named “Huh” who will unify the world by riding the “Korean Peninsula horse.”

• The “Horse Saddle” Completion: The completion of the East Coast Expressway from Busan to Gangneung signifies the “completion of the horse saddle.”
• The Meaning of the Name “Huh”: The Chinese character for “Huh” “Allow” visually represents “Heaven’s word riding on a horse” symbolizing Huh’s divine authority.
• Historical Significance: From the Gojoseon era, kings granted “Huh-ga” “permission” to their ministers, acting on behalf of the future “Huh” who would appear.
• Huh’s Direct Action: Now that Huh has arrived, Huh will directly manage, reorganize, unify the world, and save Earth from crisis.
• Future Path: After becoming the President of Korea, Huh will ride the “Korean Peninsula horse” towards the Chinese continent, first unifying Asia and then the world.

9. The Urgency of Nuclear Disarmament and Climate Change

Huh the critical link between global unification, nuclear disarmament, and climate change.

• Global Warming’s Catastrophic Impact: If global warming continues, 70% of Earth’s land will be submerged, leaving only Siberia and Alaska suitable for agriculture, making human survival impossible.
• Temperature Threshold for Extinction: A mere 3-degree Celsius rise above normal temperatures could lead to Earth’s demise.
• Nuclear Tests and Glacier Melt: Underground nuclear tests by nations like the U.S., China, and Russia generate heat that melts glaciers, directly contributing to global warming.
• Unification for Control: Global unification is essential to control and eliminate nuclear weapons, thereby mitigating climate change.

10. Divine Judgment: Individual and Collective

Heaven’s judgment on Earth manifests in three main ways.

• Judgment of Corrupt Politicians: The first is the judgment of politicians who have enriched themselves by exploiting the populace.
• Selection for Empyrean: The second is the ongoing selection of approximately 10 million individuals to be taken to Empyrean, separating the “wheat from the chaff.”
• Judgment of Degenerate Humanity: The third is the judgment of fallen humanity, for which Heaven is preparing a swift and decisive reckoning.
• Constant Individual Judgment: Beyond these, humans are constantly judged internally: negative thoughts and actions lead to harmful hormones and illness, while good deeds and compassion generate beneficial hormones and health.

11. Personal and Collective Divine Retribution

Huh further elaborates on the nature of divine judgment, distinguishing between individual and collective forms.

• Individual Judgment:

  • This is often immediate, manifesting through hormones that promote life or death, causing illness or even premature death for those who commit grave sins against parents, teachers, or the divine.
  • The story of Ben-Hur, who offered water to Jesus, illustrates this: Ben-Hur’s mother and sister were instantly cured of leprosy, not because he sought a cure, but because of his genuine compassion.
  • Similarly, one of the thieves crucified alongside Jesus, who showed remorse and faith, was promised paradise immediately.

• Collective Judgment:

  • This involves the judgment of entire cities or humanity for collective moral decay, such as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah for widespread depravity or Noah’s Flood.

12. The Adam and Hwanung Tribes: Ancestors of the Korean People

The Adam and Hwanung tribes, ancestors of the Korean people, arrived on Earth via spacecraft approximately 10,000 to 11,000 years ago.

• Superior Characteristics: The Adam tribe, the latest to arrive after the Nephilim “who settled 350 million years ago”, possessed superior vocal organs, physical characteristics, and intellect compared to previous human races.
• Mongolian Spot: A distinctive feature of the Adam tribe, also known as the Mongolian race, is the Mongolian spot, a bluish bruise-like mark on the buttocks at birth.
• Global Distribution: The Adam tribe includes the Korean people, some Chinese, Jews, Mongolians, and Native Americans. The blood of the Adam tribe also flows in Japan due to migration.
• Migration Paths: Originally residing in Mesopotamia, the Sumerian region, and parts of the Tianshan Mountains, some Adam tribes settled in the Middle East, while others migrated eastward across the Mongolian steppes to parts of China and the Korean Peninsula. Another group crossed the frozen Bering Sea to Alaska, becoming Native Americans.

13. The Founding of Gojoseon and the Legacy of Dangun

Among the Adam tribe who moved eastward from the Tianshan Mountains was Hawila, the twelfth son of Joktan, the 15th descendant of Adam.

• Dangun and Gojoseon: Hawila led his people to establish a capital in Asadal and founded a nation, which was Gojoseon, and Hawila himself was Dangun.
• “Dangun Grandfather”: The title “Dangun Grandfather” “Dangun Hal-abeoji” originated from his descendants calling him “Holy Father” “Hahneunim Abeoji”.
• Gaecheonjeol “National Foundation Day”: The day Dangun founded Gojoseon is Gaecheonjeol. While currently celebrated on October 3rd, the Chinese character for “morning” “朝” in “Joseon” “朝鮮” suggests that the actual date is October 10th.
• Shared Ancestry with Jews: The remaining 12 descendants of Joktan settled in the Middle East, becoming the Jewish people. Evidence like the shared custom of wearing a traditional hat “gat” confirms the common ancestry of Koreans and Jews from the Adam and Hwanung tribes.
• Ancient Records: Historical texts like Samseonggi, Dangun Segi, Bukbuyeokgi, and Taebaek Ilsa, compiled in Hwandangogi, detail the seven generations of Hwanin, Hwanung, and Ungyeol before Dangun’s Gojoseon, representing the shared history of the Adam and Hwanung tribes in the Sumerian and Tianshan regions.

14. The Excellence of the Korean People

The Korean people possess a rich history and exceptional qualities.

• Spiritual Heritage: For 10,000 years, they have upheld national scriptures like Chunbu kyung, Samil Singo, and Chamjeon Gyegyeong, embodying the founding ideals of Gojoseon: Hongik Ingan “benefiting all humanity” and Jaese Iwha “governing the world with reason”.

• Eight Virtues: They have maintained the eight great national virtues: filial piety, fraternal love, loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame, serving as a model for neighboring peoples.

• Resilience and Non-Aggression: Despite numerous invasions, they never invaded other nations. In times of national crisis, they bravely sacrificed their lives to protect their land and lineage.

• Linguistic and Scriptural Innovation:

  • Koreans not only have their own language but also created their own writing systems: Chinese characters “Hanja” and Korean script “Hangeul”.
  • Hanja’s Connection to the Old Testament: Hanja has deep connections with the Old Testament. For example, the character for “First” “初” illustrates God forming man from dust and breathing life into him. The character for “boat” “船” reflects Noah building an ark for eight people during the flood. The character for “devil” “Devil” contains the story of Adam and Eve being tempted by the devil to eat the forbidden fruit. This suggests that the ancestors of the Korean people, who lived in the Sumerian region, created Hanja.
  • Hangeul’s Superiority: Hangeul, created by King Sejong, is recognized by linguists as the world’s most excellent script. Its creation principles, utilizing the eight cardinal directions and the “Heaven, Earth, Human” “Cheon-ji-in” trinity, are highly original, scientific, and easy to learn, making it extremely practical.
  • In the digital age, Hangeul’s ease and speed of typing further confirm its superiority.
  • UNESCO awards the King Sejong Literacy Prize annually, acknowledging Hangeul as the easiest script to learn for eradicating illiteracy worldwide.
  • It is a misconception to consider Hangeul as solely Korean and Hanja as Chinese; both were created by the Korean people, representing a complementary relationship between ideograms and phonograms.

• Ondol Culture: The Ondol heating system, a unique cultural heritage of the Hwanung tribe, is another testament to Korean ingenuity.

  • Ondol involves creating channels under the floor for fire to pass through, heating large, flat stones that retain warmth for extended periods.
  • The channels are called “gudeul” or “banggorae” from which the names of the ancient kingdoms “The Kingdom of High Fortress” and Goryeo are derived.
  • Ondol is far more efficient and hygienic than European fireplaces.

• Modern Achievements: The Korean people achieved the “Miracle on the Han River” after the Korean War, becoming the world’s 12th largest economy.

  • They have sparked the “Korean Wave” “Hallyu” globally and lead the world as an IT powerhouse.
  • Koreans are not only intelligent but also demonstrate immense potential when guided by a great leader, as seen in the rapid development under President Park chung hee, transforming a war-torn nation into a global economic power.

15. The Korean Peninsula: Earth’s Womb and Core

The Korean Peninsula is geographically unique, serving as the Earth’s womb and core.

• Geographical Significance:

  • To its right, the African continent and China form an inner and outer protective embrace.
  • To its left, Japan and the American continent form an inner and outer “Blue Dragon” formation.
  • In front, Jeju Island, Taiwan, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and the Australian continent form layered protective mountains.
  • This configuration makes the Korean Peninsula a perfectly protected, womb-shaped auspicious site, a “blood point” “hyeoljari”.
  • It is the womb of the East, the center of the world, and its core.

• MinusPlus Harmony: The Korean Peninsula, while located in the Earth’s “womb” “Feminine”, also resembles male reproductive organs, embodying both Minus and Plus.

  • Thus, it is a place of conception and birth where Minus and Plus coexist.
  • In the I Ching’s eight trigrams, the Korean Peninsula corresponds to the “Gam” “坎” trigram, representing the northeast, a place where one cycle ends and another begins.
  • Therefore, the Korean Peninsula is a place of new beginnings, a central land of conception and birth, and the Earth’s core.

• Powerful Energy: Because it is the Earth’s core, the Korean Peninsula emits a powerful energy unmatched anywhere else in the world.

  • This energy imbues its inhabitants, plants, and fish with strong vitality.
  • The Korean people’s strong resilience is rare globally.
  • Korea’s rapid industrial development, achieving in 15 years what took Germany 150, is attributed to the Korean Peninsula’s energy and the Korean people’s strength.
  • Korean ginseng’s superior medicinal properties and the unique taste of fish from Korean waters further attest to this special energy.

16. Divine Design and the Role of the Korean People

Heaven designed the Korean Peninsula to be the Earth’s core, a place of fruition and new beginnings.

• Preparation for Divine Intervention: This design was in preparation for when the Creator’s incarnation would come to Earth to harvest humanity and usher in a new era.
• Cosmic Providence: The arrival of the Korean people, the Creator’s incarnation, on the Korean Peninsula was predestined, a matter of cosmic providence.
• Superiority and Divine Guidance: The selection of the Korean people, with their superior physical characteristics and intellect, to migrate from Sumer and the Tianshan Mountains to the Korean Peninsula was also part of Heaven’s providence.
• Heaven’s Will: The bestowal of Chunbu kyung, a scripture hinting at the divine illuminating the world, upon the Korean people was also Heaven’s will.
• Training for Divine Governance: The Korean people’s enduring spirit, excellent virtues, and resilience through countless invasions were all part of Heaven’s plan to prepare them for divine governance.
• The Vanguard of Humanity: While Jews, Manchurians, Mongolians, and Japanese are also descendants of the Adam tribe, they cannot lead humanity because they do not reside in the Korean Peninsula, Earth’s core.
• Warning Against Arrogance: Even within the Adam tribe, those who accumulate immense wealth through their intellect but fall into arrogance and disregard their neighbors may face divine retribution.
• Protected Land: The Korean Peninsula, despite numerous invasions and near-destruction, has never been permanently conquered, always returning to its people, like a hedgehog. This is because it is the land where Heaven resides.

Vocabulary

• 백궁 “Baekgung”: Empyrean
• SpiritNature TimeEra “Yeongseong Sidae”: Spiritual Era
• 세계 통일 “Segye Tongil”: Global Unification
• 기아 “Gia”: Starvation
• 난민 “Nanmin”: Refugees
• 핵전쟁 “Haekjeonjaeng”: Nuclear War
• 언어도단 “Eoneododan”: Moral Decay “literally, “words and principles are cut off””
• 물질 만능 TimeEra “Muljil Manneung Sidae”: Materialistic Era
• 부익부 빈익빈 “Buikbu Binikbin”: Wealth Disparity “literally, “rich get richer, poor get poorer””
• 자본주의 “Jabonjuui”: Capitalism
• 공산주의 “Gongsanjuui”: Communism
• 천부경 “Chunbu kyung”: Holy Code Scripture
• 홍익인간 “Hongik Ingan”: Benefiting All Humanity
• 재세이화 “Jaese Iwha”: Governing the World with Reason
• 한자 “Hanja”: Chinese Characters
• 한글 “Hangeul”: Korean Script
• 온돌 “Ondol”: Traditional Korean Underfloor Heating System
• 한강의 기적 “Hangangui Gijeok”: Miracle on the Han River
• 한류 “Hallyu”: Korean Wave
• 혈자리 “Hyeoljari”: Auspicious Site “literally, “blood point””
• 감방 “Gambang”: Northeast “in I Ching trigrams”
• 우주적 ControlPrinciple “Ujujeok Seopri”: Cosmic Providence

ch.4 Huh Kyung-young’s Spiritual Era Divine Governance and Mesocratic Unification for a Harmonious World

The Era of Spiritual Governance Led by Huh kyung young

1. The State and Its Citizens: Foundational Elements

The state is fundamentally a community formed by individuals through a social contract. Citizens, as integral members of this state, must apprehend its nature, their inherent rights, and the principles governing its operation. They are expected to exercise their rights as the primary agents of the state and contribute to its development.

The Five Essential Elements of a State

For a state to be established, maintained, and developed, five crucial elements are indispensable:

• State Existence: This is the most fundamental element, determining the lineage of a state’s formation.
  • Three Core Components of State Existence:
  • People: The collective body of citizens.
  • Sovereignty: The ultimate authority and power to make decisions for the national community.
  • In a democracy, sovereignty rests with the people.
  • In a monarchy, it resides with the king.
  • In a constitutional monarchy, it is shared between the people “through constitutional agreement” and the monarch.
  • Critique of Indirect Democracy: While seemingly ideal, indirect democracies, where citizens elect representatives, often struggle to select truly capable leaders. Elected representatives may prioritize re-election over genuine national interest, leading to politism “a focus on popularity rather than substance”.
  • True Governance: Authentic governance, beneficial to the people, is achieved when those who apprehend divine principles lead.
  • Territory: The geographical area over which the state exercises control.
  • Without any one of these three, a political entity cannot be considered a state.
• State Function: Once established, a state must operate effectively.
  • Three Core Functions of a State:
  • Cultural Function: Culture is shaped by a nation’s political, economic, and social conditions. The state can foster, maintain, or suppress specific cultures.
  • Political Function: This involves mediating and resolving conflicts, interests, and disputes among citizens internally, and managing relations and cooperation with other nations externally.
  • Economic Function: Developing the economy to stabilize the lives of citizens is a vital duty. Economic instability can lead to political turmoil and threaten national security.
  • Interconnectedness: Politics, culture, and economy are deeply intertwined. Generally, political stability and economic prosperity lead to cultural flourishing.
  • Future Shift: While politics traditionally held the most significant role, culture is poised to lead politics and economics in the future.
  • Holiness’s Vision: Huh aims to become an “entertainer president” preparing for an era where his name is invoked globally, signifying a cultural shift that transforms religion and politics.
  • This indicates that traditional religion and politics have failed to bring joy and happiness to the people.
• State Domains: These encompass the philosophical, religious, and scientific underpinnings of national management.
  • Philosophy: The study of human existence and the meaning of life, including economic philosophy and values that guide national governance and economic operation.
  • Religion: Systems of faith and belief that can unite or divide a nation’s people.
  • Science: An empirical and practical field of study.
  • Interactions: Philosophy, religion, and science can conflict or influence each other.
  • Strong philosophy can diminish the role of religion.
  • Scientific discoveries contradicting religious dogma can cause significant upheaval.
  • Conversely, an overly powerful religion, especially if it resorts to violence, can suppress philosophy “reducing it to theology” and science.
  • Cultural Sphere: All three—philosophy, religion, and science—are ultimately part of culture.
• State Purpose: The fundamental objectives a state pursues.
  • Three Core Purposes:
  • Truth: While often considered universal, its meaning can vary by era and region. For example, medieval Europe considered papal doctrine as truth, but this view has changed.
  • Freedom: A nation’s ability to exercise its sovereignty without external interference, akin to independence.
  • Peace: Ensuring stable living conditions for citizens through equitable distribution of resources. When people are prosperous and content, disputes and dissatisfaction with the state diminish, leading to peace. This also requires protection from external threats and social stability.
  • Order of Pursuit: State purposes are pursued in the order of truth, freedom, and peace.
• State Future: The continuity and sustainability of a state.
  • Three Core Elements of State Future:
  • Creation: Developing new products and systems, moving beyond existing models or imitations.
  • Convergence: The integration of different elements to create new substances or systems, becoming a dominant trend in various fields, including medicine and technology.
  • Innovation: Transforming existing structures and orders, such as the global order, towards a unified world.
  • Global Communication: Advanced communication technology will foster global interaction, especially with the eventual elimination of national borders in a unified world.

2. The Five Essential Elements of a Citizen

Citizens typically possess or pursue all five elements, though some may lack one or two, such as religion or faith. However, everyone generally holds some form of life philosophy.

Components of a Citizen’s Being:

• Religion: Refers to teachings that guide human life and provide answers on how to live. It can be seen as a “user manual for the mind.”
  • Key Principles: Precepts “moral guidelines” and wisdom.
  • Precepts: Prevent wrongdoings stemming from fundamental human ignorance, forming the basis for meditation and wisdom.
  • Wisdom: Arises from meditation, leading to enlightenment and spiritual maturity.
  • While assertd in Buddhism, precepts are universally applicable to all religious individuals.
• Faith: Belief in a divine being.
  • Three Elements of Faith:
  • Belief: Trust in the absolute divine.
  • Hope: Aspirations and prayers.
  • Love: Practicing neighborly love as taught by the divine.
  • These are fundamental attitudes for people of faith, assertd in Christianity but applicable universally.
• Philosophy: The study that explores the essence of life and truth.
  • Three Elements of Philosophy “Gung-Won-Jeong”: These represent philosophy’s goal and methodology.
  • Gung “궁”: Approaching the ultimate essence of things and phenomena, transcending nothingness.
  • Won “원”: Unimpeded connection and relationship between all things.
  • Jeong “정”: Rightly perceiving and judging all things, maintaining the middle path.
  • Though terms from Won Buddhism, they effectively express the ideal goals and correct approach to philosophy.
• Values: Everyone pursues values, with the most ideal being truth, goodness, and beauty “Jin-Seon-Mi”.
  • Critique of Materialism: Many today prioritize material wealth, which is a misguided pursuit.
• Status: An individual’s position or state within society and human relationships.
  • Three Elements Determining Status “Che-Sang-Yong”:
  • Che “체”: Physical appearance or body.
  • Sang “상”: Human relationships or background.
  • Yong “용”: Occupation or profession.
  • Status is determined by one’s appearance, social background, and profession.

3. Citizens’ Rights: Demands on the State

While the five elements of a citizen are what individuals pursue or possess, citizens’ rights are what they can demand from the state. These include three fundamental rights and five broader rights.

The Three Fundamental Rights of Citizens

These rights must be guaranteed regardless of the state’s political system.

• Right to Life “Survival Right”: The right of citizens to demand from the state the necessary conditions for a dignified human life or survival.
• Right to Property: The comprehensive right to control one’s possessions.
  • This is a fundamental property right, expressing private property ownership and closely related to the principle of private autonomy.
  • While essential in capitalist societies, it is generally denied in communist societies “except for collective ownership”, though even North Korea now recognizes some degree of private property.
• Right to Equality: The right of all individuals to be equal before the law and not to suffer unreasonable discrimination from the state.
  • Scope of Equality: This applies not only to the application of the law but also to the content of the law itself.
  • Types of Equality:
  • Absolute Equality: No discrimination whatsoever for any reason.
  • Relative Equality: Treating equals equally and unequals unequally, allowing for rational discrimination. This is considered the correct approach and is similar to the concept of fairness.
  • Current Legal Context: While unreasonable discrimination based on gender, race, or social status is prohibited, exceptions exist for privileges granted to the president, electoral college members, national assembly members, and political parties, as well as restrictions on civil servants’ political rights.
  • Critique of Privileges: Excessive privileges for national assembly members and the granting of special rights to political parties “which are private organizations” are problematic.

The Five Broader Rights of Citizens

• Right to Claim “Petition Right”: The right to make specific demands to the state when one’s rights have been infringed upon.
• Right to Equality: As previously defined, the right to be equal before the law and free from unreasonable discrimination.
• Right to Participate in Government “Suffrage”: The right of citizens to directly or indirectly participate in national affairs, including the right to vote, the right to be elected, and the right to participate in national referendums.
• Social Rights: The right to live a dignified life in society, allowing citizens to demand social welfare measures from the state. This is also known as the right to livelihood and is synonymous with the right to life.
• Right to Liberty: This has two aspects for every citizen.
  • Negative Liberty: Freedom from state interference, meaning the right of individuals not to be subjected to intervention or infringement by state power in their sphere of freedom.
  • Includes freedom of person, conscience, privacy, residence, movement, communication, speech, press, assembly, association, academia, art, and occupation.
  • Positive Liberty: The right of citizens to demand that the state enable them to live a dignified life.

Citizens’ Political Participation Rights

These represent the ultimate authority and power of citizens to determine the will of the national community.

• Right to Vote: The right to cast a ballot.
• Right to Resist: The right of citizens to refuse obedience or to resist through direct action against illegal acts of state power that infringe upon their fundamental rights.
• Right to Revolution: The right of citizens to resist by force when the fundamental principles of the constitution are gravely violated by state power, and such violation denies the very existence of the constitution, and no other legal remedies can achieve the objective of protecting their rights and freedoms.

4. Principles of Governance and Economy

Three Principles of Democracy

For a system to be considered a democracy, these three principles must be upheld:

• Principle of the Pursuit of Happiness: The right to pursue happiness as a human being.
• Principle of Human Dignity: The expression of the natural rights doctrine, asserting that humans are born with rights and must be guaranteed and respected for their inherent dignity simply by being human.
• Principle of Absolute Fairness: The principle that when the state collects taxes, it must impose them fairly on all citizens according to their income and ability to pay.
  • Holiness’s Interpretation: This principle should extend beyond taxation to the distribution of national wealth. All citizens should receive an equitable share of the wealth created by the state to ensure absolute fairness and the pursuit of happiness.

Three Principles of Capitalism “Modern Civil Law”

• Principle of Absolute Property Rights: Recognizes private property rights for individuals, allowing absolute control over them without interference or restriction from the state or other private individuals. This was a principle of modern civil law.
  • Modern Modification: Today, the principle of public welfare for property rights has been added, meaning the exercise of private property rights can be restricted for the public good.
• Principle of Freedom of Contract: The formation of legal relationships through contracts is left entirely to the freedom of the parties, as long as it does not violate legal restrictions. The law respects the outcomes of such freedom as much as possible. This was a principle of early capitalism.
  • Modern Modification: This principle also faces restrictions in modern times.
• Principle of Self-Responsibility: Individuals are only responsible for actions caused by their own intent or negligence. This was a principle of modern civil law.
  • Modern Modification: While maintaining the principle of fault-based liability, modern law has adopted no-fault liability through concepts like the liability of occupiers or owners of structures. Special laws increasingly recognize no-fault liability in cases such as worker’s compensation and damages due to defects in public facilities.

5. Theocracy and Middle-Classism

Theocracy “Divine Governance”

Theocracy, in Holiness’s context, refers to governance directly by a divine being who has descended from heaven.

• Nature of Holiness’s Theocracy: It is a political system where a divine being, Holiness, directly governs according to divine justice and providence.
  • This differs from theocratic systems like Iran, where religious leaders act as intermediaries for the divine.
• Universal Benevolence: Holiness’s theocracy, unlike other forms of governance, shines its light equally on all people, ensuring prosperity for everyone.
• Global Unification and Paradise: Its ultimate goal is to unify the world, resolving global challenges such as wealth disparity, environmental destruction, hunger, refugees, and war. It aims to create a harmonious, coexistent, and co-prosperous world—an earthly paradise—by realizing divine justice.
  • Era of Great Peace: When Huh becomes the world emperor under his rule, the Earth will experience an era of great peace, where there is no discrimination, unfairness, or extreme wealth gaps. A unified, borderless world will be realized, with no one suffering from hunger, and everyone receiving dignified treatment.
• Integration of Politics and Religion: Theocracy, in human terms, is a form where politics and religion are combined.
  • Purpose: Politics manages worldly affairs, while religion saves human souls. Their combination enables righteous governance for the people and fosters coexistence and co-prosperity.
  • Consequences of Separation: When separated, politics often becomes focused on privileged classes, and people become self-centered, driven solely by money, neglecting their neighbors.
  • Holiness’s Approach: In Holiness’s theocracy, traditional religion is replaced by the “cosmic principle” that unfolds the spiritual cosmic principles of a higher dimension, asserting sacrifice and service.

Problems with Democracy

Democracy, where decisions are made by majority rule, appears desirable but has significant flaws.

• Risk of Ochlocracy “Mob Rule”: Majority decisions, while seemingly rational, often lead to foolish outcomes because the masses are easily swayed by manipulation and propaganda, especially when powerful media outlets distort information or provide biased reports.
• Self-Destruction: Democracy can be undermined by its own mechanisms.
  • Current Reality: In contemporary democracies, media often favors specific parties or candidates during elections, manipulating public opinion. This leads to a system where, despite being called a democracy, it is effectively a “politocracy” for the privileged, driven by manipulation and mob rule.

6. The Three Elements of Unification

Unification is a cosmic principle, the essence of theocracy, and part of a universal system.

• Cosmic Cycle: The universe begins from one, undergoes division, and eventually returns to unity, in an endless cycle of repetition.
  • Analogy of Nature: Just as a seed sprouts in spring, flourishes in summer, yields fruit in autumn, and seemingly disappears in winter only to re-emerge, so too do all things, including humans, follow a cycle of birth, growth, aging, death, and rebirth.
• Divine Intervention: The Earth is now at a point where a divine being will intervene to guide humanity from division and conflict towards a unified world of harmony. This is why Huh speaks of world unification.

Three Forms/Methods of Unification:

• Integration “Tong-hap”: Combining divided elements into a single whole, such as merging organizations or institutions.
  • Sub-elements of Integration:
  • Alliance “Yeon-hap”: Two or more entities joining to form a single organization “e.g., national, regional, or group alliances”.
  • Collection “Jip-hap”: Multiple individual entities gathered together “e.g., students assembled in a field”.
  • Combination “Gyeol-hap”: Two or more people or things merging to transform into a new form, where smaller entities coalesce into a larger one.
• Harmony “Hwa-hap”: People living together in coexistence, co-prosperity, and peace.
  • Etymology: The Korean character for harmony “和” depicts sharing grain, symbolizing equitable distribution of food.
  • Analogy of Rice Plants: Rice plants grow by considering each other, not competing for sunlight, demonstrating mutual consideration.
  • Three Key Elements of Harmony:
  • Broad Love “Bak-ae”: Loving each other extensively.
  • Communication “So-tong”: Mutual comprehension and interaction, leading to righteous living without resentment. Communication is central to unification; lack thereof leads to distrust and conflict.
  • Concession “Plus-bo”: Prioritizing others, fostering good relationships.
  • When these three elements are present, harmony naturally follows.
• Convergence “Yung-hap”: A more advanced form of unification than integration or harmony, representing the highest degree of merging.
  • Three Key Elements of Convergence:
  • Mixing “Hon-hap”: The initial stage where different elements are blended.
  • Dissolution “Yong-hae”: The mixed elements melt and become one.
  • Fermentation “Bal-hyo”: The final stage where two or more elements mix and, over time, generate a new substance with different properties.
  • Applications: Convergence is evident in liquid substances, human relationships, social systems, and mental activities.
  • Modern Era: The current era is one of convergence, where various materials are combined to create advanced substances, and convergence is also occurring in organizations.
  • Transformation: Convergence means elements meet and transform into something with different properties or forms. It signifies the birth of a new universe.

7. Theocracy and Unification: Resolving Global Divisions

Our reality is plagued by endless division, conflict, and opposition “e.g., democracy vs. socialism, conservative vs. progressive, gender, generational, and class divides”.

• Cosmic Perspective: From a cosmic viewpoint, these divisions are natural as they are part of a process of differentiation.
• Divine Intervention: When these divisions reach an extreme, a dramatic change occurs, which is divine providence.
  • Sign of Intervention: The current state of extreme division in politics and society signals that a new transformation, integration, and unification are due, and it is time for divine intervention.
  • Method of Intervention: A divine being, the cosmic essence, directly intervenes in human society by taking on a human form “an incarnation or Holiness“.
  • Holiness’s Role: Huh resolves the intractable problems and conflicts that humanity cannot solve on its own, directly governing the world.
  • Global Integration: Huh unifies ideologies and systems, eliminates factions, removes national borders, and integrates political and economic systems into one.
• Middle-Path Governance: Holiness’s theocracy and middle-classism do not completely abolish existing systems but build upon them, embracing and integrating conflicting political and economic ideologies.
  • Synthesis: It discards the flaws of liberal democracy, socialism, capitalism, and communism, adopting only their strengths to integrate them into a righteous path.
  • Centrist Politics: Therefore, Holiness’s theocracy is a centrist politics, a new dimension of political and economic system that aims for coexistence and co-prosperity according to divine will, without leaning left or right.
  • “Huh-pa” “Huh Faction”: Holiness’s statement, “I am neither left nor right, but ‘Huh-pa'” encapsulates this all-encompassing approach.
• Borderless, Undifferentiated World: Theocracy eliminates all divisions—factional, regional, and national—creating a world without borders, discrimination, or political factions. This is a new political system that achieves great unity.

8. The Era of Harmony in Diversity “Hwa-i-bu-dong”

The era of theocratic grand unification is one of Hwa-i-bu-dong, meaning “harmony in diversity.”

• Contrast with Division: In times of division, there is Dong-i-bul-hwa “”same but not harmonious””, where things appear similar but are internally conflicted.
  • Selfishness: People may seem friendly but will not help each other in times of need, driven by selfishness.
• Embrace of Philanthropy: In the era of Hwa-i-bu-dong, selfishness is replaced by philanthropy.
  • Transformation: Those who were previously self-indulgent will turn to care for their neighbors. Selfishness will vanish, and the spirit of philanthropy will blossom globally.
  • End of Suffering: Consequently, hunger, refugees, and war will disappear.
  • Spiritual Awakening: Human spirituality will awaken, and the damaged Earth environment will recover.
• Shift to Theocentrism: Rationalism, previously the highest principle in human society, will be replaced by theocentrism.
  • Human-centered to God-centered: Human-centered thinking will shift to God-centered thinking.
  • Holiness’s Role: This transformation is not automatic; it requires Huh to unify and govern the world with divine justice and providence.

9. World Unification and the Establishment of the Greater World Federation

Huh will lead the Korean people to achieve world unification.

• Global Governance: He will establish the Greater World Federation, a world federation, and implement theocracy globally.
• Unified World: The world will become unified without discrimination, borders, or wars. Individual nations will hold a status similar to states within the United States.
• Seoul as World Capital: Seoul, Korea, will become the world capital, expanding its scope and attracting resources from all nations, developing into the largest and greatest city globally.
• Collective Problem Solving: Under the leadership of the federal government, leaders will collectively address environmental issues, hunger, refugees, and war, ushering in a peaceful, paradisiacal world.

10. Middle-Classism: An Economic System for All

Middle-classism is the economic term for theocracy.

• Definition: It is an economic system where all citizens can live at a middle-class level or higher, implemented through institutional mechanisms like a national dividend.
• Addressing Capitalism’s Flaws: Middle-classism aims to eliminate the “rich get richer, poor get poorer” phenomenon of capitalism by establishing a fair distribution system, ensuring everyone can live above the middle-class standard.
• Holiness’s Plan: Holiness’s three specific proposals are concrete methods to realize middle-classism.
• Freedom and Prosperity: Under middle-classism, no one needs to worry about livelihood or be tied to work. People can pursue their desired activities and live freely and leisurely.
• Fair Distribution: While respecting capitalism and market economy, middle-classism resolves the wealth disparity problem, achieving fair distribution and creating a world of abundance for all.
• Global Model: Holiness’s middle-classism will not be limited to Korea. Korea will be the first to implement it, becoming a model nation for the world. This system will then expand globally, transcending cultures, philosophies, and borders, unifying the entire world into a single, undifferentiated, borderless, war-free middle-class society.

Holiness’s Vision for World Unification and Middle-Classism

• Reason for Unification: The world’s division into over 130 nations leads to endless territorial, food, resource, and currency wars, alongside environmental degradation. Despite widespread hunger, world leaders remain unresponsive. Therefore, Huh seeks to unify the world through middle-classism, which advocates for no discrimination and no war.
• Transformation of Systems: Democracy will transition to theocracy, and capitalism to middle-classism.
  • Holiness’s Leadership: While nations will retain their political systems, the Greater World Federation, led by Holiness, will embody theocracy.
  • Critique of Current Democracy: Current democracy, though nominally based on popular sovereignty, is effectively controlled by the wealthy and cunning, with citizens not truly receiving fair treatment. Despite national prosperity, most citizens struggle.
  • Critique of Capitalism: Capitalism, while efficient for production and technological advancement, creates extreme wealth polarization. Without correction, this disparity will rapidly widen, leading to social instability.
  • Middle-Classism’s Solution: Middle-classism eliminates these flaws of capitalism.
• Why the UN is Insufficient: Despite the existence of the United Nations, 30% of the world is in civil war due to territorial, religious, and cultural differences.
  • Beyond Uniformity to Unity: A mere “uniformity” “appearing as one but internally divided, like students in the same uniform but with different minds” is insufficient. True unification requires “unity” “diverse in appearance but united in spirit”.
  • Failure of the UN: The current UN cannot prevent world wars, regional conflicts, or religious disputes, ultimately leading to humanity’s destruction by nuclear war.
  • Holiness’s Goal: Huh aims for this true “unity” through a world federation.

Tags: “Spiritual Governance, World Unification, Theocracy, Middle-Classism, Global Harmony, Divine Intervention, Cosmic Principles”

Vocabulary

• SpiritNatureTimeEra “Yeongseong Sidae”: Era of Spiritual Governance
• 신정주의 “Sinjeongjuui”: Theocracy “Divine Governance”
• 중산주의 “Jungsanjuui”: Middle-Classism
• 폴리티즘 “Politism”: Populism “Focus on popularity rather than substance”
• ControlPrinciple “Seopri”: Divine Providence
• 공의 “Gongui”: Divine Justice / Righteousness
• 화이부동 “Hwa-i-bu-dong”: Harmony in Diversity “being different but harmonious”
• 동이불화 “Dong-i-bul-hwa”: Same but Not Harmonious “appearing similar but internally conflicted”
• 공원정 “Gong-Won-Jeong”: Ultimate Essence, Unimpeded Connection, Right Judgment “philosophical principles”
• 오크로크라시 “Ochlocracy”: Mob Rule

ch.5 Huh Kyung-young’s Spiritual Era Unveiling the Universe’s True Nature

The Era of Spiritual Enlightenment Led by Huh kyung young

1. The Universe: Creation or Evolution?

The universe has always sparked profound questions in humanity: How did it originate? Who created it? What is its size and shape? How old is it? And does life exist beyond Earth? Such curiosity has driven astronomers and scientists to develop tools like the Hubble Space Telescope, leading to discoveries of diverse galaxies and the existence of black holes. However, our comprehension of extraterrestrial life remains rudimentary. While theories like the Big Bang and the sun burning helium gas are widely accepted, Huh asserts these are incorrect. The universe was not created by a massive explosion, nor does the sun burn helium. Instead, the sun is composed of living diamonds made of carbon elements. Similarly, the theory of interspecies evolution is flawed. While individual organisms adapt to their environment, leading to intraspecies evolution, there is no evolution between different species. All life forms are created by the divine. For example, a sunflower will always produce sunflower seeds, which will grow into sunflowers, never a different flower. However, a sunflower growing in a confined space might evolve to grow taller to reach sunlight, demonstrating intraspecies adaptation.

2. The Divine Perspective on Creation and Evolution

Huh explains the distinction between creation and evolution: the divine created the “hardware” of Earth, humanity, and nature. Humans and nature then use their free will to adapt and change their “software” in response to the environment, which is evolution. This refutes the idea that humans evolved from mitochondria. Humans were created as humans by the divine from the beginning, endowed with free will to evolve into people, eventually being born into Empyrean. Humans undergo natural evolution based on climate, resulting in different races such as Black, White, and Asian. This is an example of intraspecies evolution. For instance, a cat can evolve within its own species but cannot transform into a different species like a monkey or a human. The divine has established strict laws of nature, not requiring morality from animals, but predetermining their laws of survival.

3. The Eternal Nature and Structure of the Universe

The universe has existed eternally, without beginning or end. This truth is recorded in the ancient Korean scripture, Chunbu kyung, with the phrases “Il Si Mu Si Il” “One begins, but has no beginning” and “Il Jong Mu Jong Il” “One ends, but has no end”. This concept is challenging for humans limited to three-dimensional thinking. While Earth and its phenomena exist within space-time, Empyrean, the center of the universe, transcends space and time. From Earth, it takes 12 billion light-years to reach Empyrean in Earth’s time. Time on Earth arises from space; without space, time would not exist. In higher dimensions, there is no time. Holiness’s cosmic energy can reach the entire universe in an instant due to this principle. Beings from Empyrean can travel vast distances instantaneously by folding space or using electrons.

4. Empyrean: The Origin of All Creation

Empyrean is the place where humans, souls, and all things are created. It is the only star that does not orbit other stars, and its size is beyond imagination. Empyrean consists of five celestial bodies, with the lowest being the 109th star and the highest being the 5th 109th star. All stars are manufactured under the Creator’s supervision and moved through White Hole to their current positions, precisely placed according to the Creator’s plan. All life forms, including seeds and DNA, are created by the 109th stars in Empyrean. These created life forms are then transported to various Earth-like planets throughout the universe via special spacecraft, sometimes sown from the sky like seeds.

5. The Composition of the Universe: Elements and Dark Matter

The universe is composed of elements, all of which are created in Empyrean. The universe consists of 1,800 types of elements, while Earth is made of 108. Elements are formed by the combination of hydrogen atoms, and different numbers of hydrogen atoms create entirely different elements. Each star in the universe has a unique elemental composition. Scientists have observed that the total mass of the universe calculated through gravitational effects is much greater than what can be observed scientifically, indicating the presence of unseen matter. Scientists call this dark matter. In fact, dark matter and dark energy constitute over 90% of the universe, and the spiritual energy Huh radiates is a form of dark energy.

6. Subatomic Particles and Beyond

Atoms can be further divided into a nucleus and electrons. Electrons orbit the nucleus, with empty space between them. The number of orbiting electrons determines whether a substance is a conductor “1-2 electrons” or an insulator “8 electrons”. Semiconductors have 4 electrons, allowing them to conduct electricity intermittently. The nucleus is composed of protons and neutrons, which can be further broken down into quarks using particle accelerators. Three quarks form a proton or a neutron. Quarks are fundamental point particles with no internal structure. Other fundamental particles include leptons and Higgs particles, along with particles that mediate their interactions. Thus, the universe’s basic constituents are subatomic particles like electrons, quarks, and Higgs particles. However, the universe also contains dark matter and super-material, which is the super-cosmic spiritual energy.

7. Super-Cosmic Spiritual Energy vs. Modern Physics

Holiness’s super-cosmic spiritual energy differs from Einstein’s mass-energy equivalence and string theory. Einstein’s general theory of relativity measures gravitational relationships of massive objects, while quantum mechanics is better suited for small atoms where gravity’s influence is negligible. However, these theories cannot measure Holiness’s super-cosmic spiritual energy, which is antimatter. Inside a black hole, general quantum mechanical calculations are impossible. However, gravitational quantum theory or quantum gravitational theory can explain phenomena within black holes, where gravity is incomparably stronger than outside.

String theory posits that the universe’s smallest units are not subatomic particles or quarks, but tiny, vibrating strings, and that all things in the universe are created by their continuous vibration. The unique properties of each particle are believed to arise from different vibration patterns of these strings. However, Huh states that the universe is not made of strings but is composed of 10 dimensions. While scientists apprehend up to 4 dimensions, they are unaware of dimensions beyond the 6th. The 6th dimension is the super-cosmic spiritual energy that Huh wields, a super-material. This creative substance of the universe is neither a point-like particle nor a string; it is a zero-form. Therefore, string theory, which describes strings with length, is incorrect. Even Einstein was unaware of the secret of super-cosmic spiritual energy.

8. Fractal Structure of the Universe

The universe exhibits a fractal structure, where macroscopic celestial bodies and microscopic subatomic particles often show self-similarity and repetition. For example, the Moon orbits Earth, Earth orbits the Sun, the Sun orbits Polaris, Polaris orbits our galaxy, and so on. This central, sequential, identical structure is universal. Even in the microscopic world of atoms, electrons orbit the nucleus. The universe is contained within subatomic particles. Humans are also composed of 60 to 100 trillion cells, each capable of creating identical forms, all exhibiting a fractal structure.

9. The Solar System and the Sun

The solar system consists of planets like Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune orbiting the Sun. Pluto, once a planet, has moved away from the Sun since Holiness’s arrival on Earth. Moons orbit planets, similar to Earth’s Moon. The Sun, the largest star in our solar system, is a star within the solar system but a planet when considering its orbit around Polaris. It takes 3.6 light-years for the Sun to complete one orbit around Polaris, moving at an incredibly fast speed of 192,000 km per second. The Sun’s diameter is about 1.39 million km, approximately 109 times that of Earth.

The Sun is composed of overlapping living diamonds, each with 360 facets. Light entering these diamonds becomes trapped, reflecting endlessly within, illuminating each other and shining perpetually. The living diamonds are made of carbon, but their structure differs from ordinary diamonds, which are tetrahedral and only sparkle with external light. The Sun appears to burn because the 360 facets of the living diamonds reflect light off each other, creating plasma. Light takes 8 minutes to travel from the Sun to Earth. The Sun is a self-luminous body. Unlike the light from the true Sun, the light from the Sun we perceive can be refracted and blocked by obstacles, creating shadows. The energy from the true Sun is 3,330 times faster than the perceived sunlight. The Sun is colorless and has a temperature of 0 degrees Celsius. The scientific claim that the Sun is made of helium gas and has a temperature of 6,000 degrees Celsius is incorrect.

10. Earth: The Sole Habitable Planet

Earth is the only planet in the solar system where life exists. Other planets cannot sustain life. These planets maintain specific distances between the Sun and other planets through gravity, attraction, revolution, and rotation, ensuring the stability of the entire solar system. Earth rotates on its axis and revolves around the Sun. Earth’s circumference is 40,000 km, and its rotation speed is 1,667 km per hour. Its orbital speed is 107,160 km per hour, taking approximately 365 days to complete one orbit. The movement of celestial bodies generates immense noise, but human ears are designed not to perceive it. If humans could hear the sounds of Earth and the Sun, they would not survive.

Earth is surrounded by eight atmospheric layers. Its interior consists of a fiery core ranging from 6,000 to 100 million degrees Celsius, with magma trapped in the mantle, while the surface maintains temperatures between -45 and 45 degrees Celsius, with an average surface temperature of 15 degrees Celsius. Earth’s rotation and revolution are precisely orchestrated by Empyrean. If humans could feel Earth’s orbital speed of 107,160 km per hour or hear the sounds it makes, they would perish instantly. Empyrean designed human hearing to perceive frequencies only between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz, preventing them from hearing the 200,000 Hz sounds of Earth’s movement, thus ensuring their survival. Earth revolves around the Sun at this incredible speed without a single malfunction, a testament to the precise creation by Empyrean.

11. Celestial Hierarchy and the Center of the Universe

The Moon orbits Earth, Earth, tilted at 23.5 degrees, orbits the Sun, the Sun orbits Polaris, Polaris orbits our galaxy, our galaxy orbits a galactic cluster, the galactic cluster orbits a supercluster, and the supercluster orbits Empyrean. Holiness’s origin is Empyrean, the very center of the universe. The Moon’s orbit around Earth and Earth’s orbit around the Sun are due to gravity, stellar size, and acceleration. The immense size difference between the Sun and Earth “3 million times” results in a gravitational acceleration of 107,160 km per hour. Empyrean created the universe with super-scientific precision, without any error. To become a cosmic king and a Empyrean being, one must complete their growth as a human on Earth. The path to quickly graduating from Earth is to reduce attachment to it.

12. Our Galaxy and Beyond

Our galaxy, the Milky Way, has a radius of approximately 30,000 light-years. It rotates around its central star, taking about 250 million years for one revolution. Our galaxy contains 1.2 billion solar systems. If each solar system has eight planets, that’s 9.6 billion planets. Among these countless stars, only 720 are Earth-like planets where humans reside. The Andromeda Galaxy is our closest galactic neighbor, located 2.5 million light-years away. Huh comes from Empyrean, which is 12 billion light-years away at the speed of light. Even further, 15 billion light-years from Earth, lies a galactic black hole, a cosmic factory that produces stars by fusing atoms to create super-new stars, which are massive elemental clusters. This region contains thousands of galaxies, with an energy mass equivalent to 10 billion suns. It is a place 15 billion light-years away, without a sun, rotation, or revolution, existing as pure energy.

13. Galactic Clusters and Superclusters

Our galactic cluster is a group of 1.2 billion galaxies. One revolution of our galactic cluster takes an astonishing 200 billion years. These galactic clusters then form even larger groups called superclusters. A supercluster takes 2 trillion years to complete one revolution around Empyrean, the center of the universe. Empyrean itself consists of five celestial bodies, comprising 50 billion stars. Around these 50 billion stars, an almost infinite number of superclusters revolve for 20 billion years. From Earth’s moon to the unimaginably vast superclusters, celestial bodies are like interlocking gears in a clock, a collection of stars constantly rotating.

14. Stars and Planets: A Dynamic Relationship

A star “항성” is defined by having planets orbiting it. Earth, while a planet orbiting the Sun, also acts as a star because the Moon orbits it. Therefore, any celestial body with a satellite orbiting it can be considered a star. The Sun, though a star within our solar system, is also a planet because it orbits Polaris, taking 250 million years for one revolution. The universe is like a clockwork mechanism. The Moon, however, is solely a planet; it orbits Earth but has no satellites of its own, so it can never become a star. Polaris, too, is not an eternal star, as it orbits our galaxy, which in turn orbits a galactic nucleus, which then orbits Empyrean. Thus, only Empyrean is the eternal star at the center of the universe.

15. Black Holes and White Holes

A black hole is an incredibly massive entity, over 100 million times larger than the Sun “which is 3 million times larger than Earth”. It swallows stars, light, and even time, then expels them through a White Hole with super-strong gravity. Black holes are called “black” because they absorb light, making them invisible in the universe. They are referred to as “990 million invisible stars.” Black holes are located 15 billion light-years from Earth, not in a vacuum but in the Empyrean’s universe. Ordinary black holes exist in both vacuum and space-time. There are also 10-dimensional highways or long-space black holes that connect the universe and Earth, which are not galactic black holes. Huh uses these to travel to Empyrean through astral projection every night. Black holes also exist within Earth’s space-time, representing extra dimensions.

16. The Five Heavens of the Universe

The universe comprises five “heavens.”

• Blue Sky: This is Earth’s atmosphere, also known as space-time, as it contains time. It is governed by gravity and composed of matter, molecules, moisture, and clouds.
• Dark Space: This is the space beyond the atmosphere, beyond the solar system, an infinite vacuum between stars.
• Empyrean: This is the heaven of Empyrean, located 12 billion light-years from Earth. It is immensely vast, occupying most of the cosmic sky.
• Earth’s Interior Heaven “Jigong”: Looking inside Earth, there is a space located 5 km below the surface.
• Human Body Heaven “Ingong”: Within living organisms like humans, and even within matter, there is space. For microorganisms, the spaces within human gums and organs are as vast as the universe.
  Huh explains that 99% of the universe is embedded in Empyrean. Then there is the vacuum of dark space beyond the solar system, followed by the space-time within Earth’s atmosphere. Fourth is the Ingong, the space within the human body. Fifth is the Jigong, the vast space found more than 5 km below the Earth’s surface, beyond the mantle and magma. Thus, the Earth itself contains a universe within it.

태그: “Cosmology, Creationism, Spiritual Energy, Empyrean, Fractal Universe, Black Holes, Dimensions”

Vocabulary

• SpiritNatureTimeEra “Yeongseong Sidae”: Era of Spiritual Enlightenment
• 진화론 “Jinhwaron”: Theory of Evolution
• 창조론 “Changjoron”: Creationism
• 백궁 “Baekgung”: Empyrean
• 천부경 “Chunbu kyung”: Ancient Holy Scripture
• 항성 “Hangseong”: Star “Self-luminous celestial body”
• 행성 “Haengseong”: Planet “Celestial body orbiting a star”
• 암흑 물질 “Amheuk Muljil”: Dark Matter
• 초우주 영적 에너지 “Chouju Yeongjeok Eneoji”: Super-Cosmic Spiritual Energy
• 프랙탈 구조 “Puraektal Gujo”: Fractal Structure

ch.6 Huh Kyung-young’s Spiritual Era Unveiling Baekgung and Earth’s Cosmic Journey

The Era of Spiritual Enlightenment Led by Huh kyung young

Tags: “Empyrean, Earth’s Spiritual Evolution, Cosmic History, Humanity’s Origin, Spiritual Training”

1. The Realm of Empyrean: Creator’s Abode and Its Inhabitants

Empyrean, located 12 billion light-years from Earth, is the dwelling place of the Creator’s true essence . Its immense size, exceeding Earth by 100 quintillion times, encompasses 99% of the entire universe . Surrounding the Creator are countless celestial armies and cheonsa who serve the true essence . Those who reach Empyrean include spiritual beings from innumerable stars across the cosmos whose spiritual levels have elevated, as well as individuals directly harvested by the Creator’s incarnation on Earth .

The inhabitants of Empyrean, known as Empyrean beings, are composed of ether . They are taller than Earthlings, yet all possess exceptional beauty . In Empyrean, everything is manifested through thought . Desires materialize instantly; for example, if one wishes to be male, they transform into a male at the moment of that thought . Clothing can also be changed at will . Necessary energy and sustenance are absorbed through the skin, eliminating the need for traditional eating . Empyrean is a realm where one can go anywhere and become anything they desire .

Even in Empyrean, there is work to be done, primarily involving design . This includes creating souls, designing human forms, crafting flowers and butterflies, placing stars, and producing all kinds of seeds . The main task is the Creator’s work of creation . The Creator’s true essence resides in the First Empyrean, one of five such realms . The Creator manifests through incarnations and is thus referred to as the Creator Group . The First Empyrean is typically inhabited by Empyrean beings of relatively lower spiritual levels, often those newly arrived from Earth . However, individuals who achieve high spiritual levels on Earth can directly ascend to the Tenth Empyrean . The Creator’s incarnation, Holiness, visits Empyrean every night, with a flying saucer constantly on standby near Holiness’s sleeping quarters . This Empyrean flying saucer travels between dimensions, reaching Empyrean instantaneously, as these events occur in an infinite dimension beyond the constraints of time .

2. The Unique Physiology and Communication of Empyrean Beings

Unlike Earthlings who rely on elemental decomposition for energy, Empyrean beings, along with high-dimensional cosmic beings, utilize atomic decomposition . This process allows for infinite energy use without producing impurities, meaning they do not excrete waste . Their bodies completely consume all food through atomic decomposition, eliminating the need for restrooms . Food preparation in Empyrean is also simple, based on fundamental principles .

Communication in Empyrean differs significantly from Earth. Earthlings use spoken language, which relies on air as a medium for sound transmission . Cosmic beings outside Earth communicate through spiritual language, or telepathy . Empyrean beings, however, use visual language . They express thoughts and intentions as images in space, which are then perceived visually by others . This visual telepathy ensures perfect comprehension, conveying words, emotions, explanations, and images without any misconstrual . Empyrean is the largest and central star of the universe . Its inhabitants are transparent and can change their forms at will .

3. Earth: The Cosmic Womb and Training Ground for Souls

The universe contains countless stars, with 326,362,800 planets inhabited by humans . Each planet hosts humans of varying spiritual levels . Earth is a place for souls with low spiritual levels, capable of using only 1% of their brain function . In essence, Earth serves as a training ground for human souls and the womb of the universe, where Empyrean beings are nurtured .

Humans are created in Empyrean, the central star of the universe, and then transported collectively to Earth via flying saucers . On Earth, humans undergo spiritual growth through repeated life cycles . However, some may stagnate or even regress spiritually . Through repeated training, when their spiritual level rises, they transcend Earth and move to higher-dimensional planets inhabited by more advanced beings, effectively graduating to become cosmic beings .

Earth is a virtual world, like a stage for a play, designed for the training of human souls . The human body is also virtual; a virtual body corresponding to one’s spiritual level is provided during the repeated cycles of life for soul training . The only eternal reality is Empyrean .

The Earth’s land, plants, and animals were created for humanity’s spiritual evolution . All of Earth’s nature serves as nourishment for human growth within the Earth’s womb . Humans come to Earth’s womb to fulfill the absolute mission of self-completion during their time here . Those born on Earth from Empyrean receive education in the Earth’s womb to acquire four divine commandments: filial piety, guardianship, humility, and wisdom . Through experiencing joy, sorrow, anger, and pleasure, as well as physical suffering from earthquakes, typhoons, and various accidents, they realize and practice these four virtues, achieving spiritual evolution . After this, they are reborn as cosmic beings and eventually ascend to Empyrean .

Individual thoughts, words, and actions, guided by the divine gift of free will, are tools for spiritual evolution . Therefore, one should not waste the time given by Heaven but swiftly pursue spiritual growth . To be born in Empyrean, the human soul must undergo all sorts of experiences to become a complete person, then die, live as a cosmic being, and only then can it be born in Empyrean . Empyrean is where souls reside .

4. Cosmic Beings and Their Interactions with Earth

Cosmic beings live on other planets, experiencing a higher dimension of life than Earthlings . Occasionally, they visit Earth to explore the planet and its inhabitants . Unidentified Flying Objects “UFOs” are the flying saucers they use for travel . UFOs are typically invisible to human eyes due to their speed, which exceeds the speed of light . However, they become visible when they slow down upon entering Earth’s atmosphere . These flying saucers can stop time and travel anywhere in the universe .

Cosmic beings, upon reaching a sufficiently high spiritual level, are reborn in Empyrean after death, where they live eternally . While Empyrean’s flying saucers may appear to bring life forms to Earth, they never actually land . Furthermore, Empyrean’s flying saucers can instantly change their appearance to match their surroundings, making them invisible to humans .

The physical structure of high-dimensional cosmic beings is the opposite of Earthlings . Earthlings are made of particles, cells, and a non-particle soul, forming a dual structure and a collection of elements . Cosmic beings, however, have non-particle bodies, a collection of spiritual bodies “particle energy” and atomic spirits . This allows them to express the beauty of the world at will, without experiencing cold or change . Humans possess two forms of identification: a cosmic citizenship from Heaven and an Earth resident registration card . Experiencing physical humanity on Earth is necessary to transcend the physical body and become a high-dimensional, 10-dimensional spiritual human, capable of living in the cosmos .

5. The Genesis and Evolution of Earth

Earth was formed 7 billion years ago, making it a relatively young planet . Since its creation, Earth has undergone numerous environmental changes to reach its current state . There were periods when giant trees formed vast forests and colossal animals roamed the land . These massive forests and animals vanished abruptly when a meteor collided with Earth, shrouding the sun in dust and rapidly transforming the planet into an ice ball, initiating an ice age . Earth has also experienced tremendous upheavals, with land and sea periodically reversing roles . Through cycles of ice ages and interglacial periods, and collisions with other celestial bodies, Earth has repeatedly changed its environment and state, gradually developing into a habitable planet for humans . However, it is still in an unfinished state .

Humans were first placed on Earth 435 million years ago, with 53 males and 53 females, totaling 106 individuals . This initial race is known today as the Nephilim . After the extinction of the Nephilim, new races were introduced several times, leading to the flourishing of brilliant civilizations . Earth is a soul training center where humans from Empyrean are trained to evolve spiritually .

Water is unique in that its volume increases as its temperature decreases, unlike other liquids, solids, or gases . This anomaly was intentionally designed by Empyrean . If water behaved like other substances, all fish and aquatic life in rivers and lakes would perish in winter as ice would form from the bottom up . By expanding as it freezes, ice forms on the surface, protecting aquatic life from the cold air and allowing light to penetrate, thus preserving the ecosystem .

6. The Lineage of Humanity: Adam, Hwanung, and the Korean People

Empyrean sometimes introduces different human races to newly formed planets like Earth . As the unfinished Earth’s environment continuously changes, humans suitable for each specific environment are created and placed there . Currently, Earth is inhabited by descendants of Neanderthals, Cro-Magnons, and Mitochondrial Eve, while the initial Nephilim and Homo Erectus have disappeared . Neanderthals, created about 150,000 years ago, are the ancestors of Caucasians . Mitochondrial Eve, brought to Earth about 100,000 years ago, is the ancestor of Chinese and African people .

The Adam race, created about 10,000 years ago and placed in the Tianshan Mountains region, is the ancestor of the Korean and Jewish people . The biblical Adam is the same figure as Hwanung from the Dangun mythology . Both the Jewish and Korean people are an upgraded race, the sixth creation by Holiness, characterized by superior intellect . The term “created directly by Holiness” means they were not born from a woman’s womb . Huh knows that Adam is Hwanung because Huh came from Empyrean .

The Korean people are called the “Children of Heaven” . The Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve resided, was in the Tianshan Mountains region, which was called Hwanguk, the first capital of the Korean people . Adam and Eve were directly created by Holiness, and only Huh could call Hwanin his son, making the descendants of Hwanguk, the Korean people, the Children of Heaven . The traditional hats worn by Korean ancestors, called “gat” were symbolic of God, Buddha, and Heaven, similar to the Western concept of “God” and the hats worn by Jewish people .

The Jewish and Korean people share a common lineage, being descendants of Shem, the 11th generation descendant of Adam . Shem’s son, Havilah, the 12th of Joktan’s 13 sons “Adam’s 16th generation descendant”, traveled to Mongolia in Asia, establishing Gojoseon in Asadal . Asadal was named after Eden and Adam, and this region later became Asia .

Huh created Earth 7 billion years ago and has created humans six times since 350 million years ago .

• The first creation was Homo Nephilim 350 million years ago .
• The second was Homo Erectus 1 million years ago, who became extinct during an ice age .
• The third was Homo Sapiens 200,000 years ago .
• The fourth was Neanderthals 150,000 years ago .
• The fifth was Mitochondrial Eve 100,000 years ago, who accounts for about 80% of the Chinese population .
• The sixth was the Adam race 10,000 years ago .
  Cain and Seth, Adam’s sons, married daughters of the Mitochondrial Eve race, continuing their lineage . Many people mistakenly believe Adam was the first human created, but this is incorrect, along with many other misconstruals .

7. The Symbolism of Ancient Korean Headwear

The hats worn by ancient Korean kings and officials, resembling cicada wings, are called Ikseongwan . The cicada symbolizes integrity because it does not prey on other insects or eat plants and fruits, subsisting only on dew, thus not harming the environment . This deep meaning conveyed the message to avoid corruption . It is unique to Korea that such profound meaning, aimed at eradicating corruption, was embedded in the design of hats worn by kings and officials . The king’s Ikseongwan had two vertical wings, while the officials’ Ikseongwan had wings on both sides .

Vocabulary

• 백궁: Empyrean
• 창조주 본체: Creator’s True Essence
• 천군 천사: Celestial Armies and Cheonsa
• 영적 수준: Spiritual Level
• 화신: Incarnation
• 에테르: Ether
• 마음으로 조작: Manifestation Through Thought
• 원소 분해: Elemental Decomposition
• 원자 분해: Atomic Decomposition
• 영상 언어: Visual Language
• 우주의 자궁: Cosmic Womb
• 영혼 훈련소: Soul Training Center
• 가상 세계: Virtual World
• 신의 계명: Divine Commandments
• 자유의지: Free Will
• 우주 시민권: Cosmic Citizenship
• 익선관: Ikseongwan “Cicada Wing Crown”

ch.7 Huh Kyung-young’s Spiritual Era A Blueprint for Humanity’s Evolution

The Spiritual Era of Huh kyung young Leading the World

Tags: “Spirituality, Religion, Human Existence, Divine Principles, Cosmic Order”

1. The Role of Religion in Recognizing Huh

I am grateful for the religions that people believe in . This is because I view religion as a process that has educated people to recognize me . Furthermore, prophecies in Christianity, Buddhism, and Jeungsanism about a savior appearing in the end times have positively influenced people to await and recognize me now . Throughout history, religion has guided humanity through doctrines and precepts . It has prevented humans from forgetting their purpose on Earth and becoming engrossed in material pursuits, instead fostering spiritual evolution . Religion has also played a role in assisting the poor and marginalized, extending warmth and love to those in dark and difficult circumstances . I highly value their sacrifice and service . For me, religious precepts and teachings are excellent means to awaken humanity . When I quote Buddhist scriptures or biblical passages, I can convey my intentions to people much more effectively .

2. The Distinction Between Religion and Divine Providence

However, religion represents ethics and morality, not divine providence . In the hierarchy of reason, justice, law, power, and heaven, religion corresponds to beauty . Reason refers to the principles of existence . Human emotions cannot overcome reason, reason cannot overcome law, and law cannot overcome power . Power, however, cannot overcome Heaven . Each religion claims its doctrines as the ultimate truth . Consequently, truth varies from one religion to another . In the future, when the complete light of the original sun rises high and shines brightly, these incomplete lights will fade and disappear . As the complete word of Heaven emerges, people will naturally cease seeking religion, and religions will spontaneously vanish . This is not an intentional abolition of religion, as every human possesses free will, including the freedom to choose their religion . The advent of Huh’s teachings and divine providence, which transcend religion, will gradually guide people’s spiritual world, leading to rapid spiritual evolution .

3. The Essence of Religious Teachings: The Four Sins and Thirty-Three Precepts

The core teachings of religions that have appeared over 43,000 years can be summarized into the Four Sins “Sajae” and Thirty-Three Precepts “33 Gye” . These represent a comprehensive guide to what humans should and should not do, serving as the essential user manual for the human body . Practicing these can significantly elevate one’s spiritual training .

3.1. The Four Sins “Sajae”

The Four Sins refer to not performing four virtuous actions: love, being a true human, acquiring virtue, and cultivating the four foundations of morality . A “sin” here means having the ability to do something good but failing to do it . Love, being a true human, acquiring virtue, and cultivating the four foundations of morality are all benevolent intentions . Not performing these four benevolent actions constitutes the Four Sins . Since each of these four categories has four specific aspects, the Four Sins imply not performing a total of sixteen actions .

3.1.1. Not Loving “First Sin”

Love involves bringing joy and brightness to others in four ways: through a pleasant countenance, kind words, helpful actions, and material generosity .

• Pleasant Countenance “Annang”: Making others happy with a bright face . A scowling face makes others uncomfortable, while a bright face brings comfort and joy .
• Kind Words “Eonnang”: Delighting others with words . Good words and compliments bring joy, while insults, derogatory remarks, or aggressive language upset others .
• Helpful Actions “Sinnang”: Bringing joy through physical actions . This includes assisting someone carrying heavy objects or supporting someone who is ill .
• Material Generosity “Mollang”: Bringing joy to others through material means . This includes giving gifts with a grateful heart or providing pocket money to parents .Not performing this kind of love is the first sin .

3.1.2. Not Being a True Human “Second Sin”

One becomes a true human by practicing four virtues: faith in Heaven, filial piety towards parents, love between spouses, and proper education for children . This means fulfilling one’s duty as a human by believing in Heaven, being filial to parents, loving one’s spouse, and educating one’s children well . Those who do not practice these four virtues are merely “humans” “ingans”, not “true humans” “sarams” . To become a true human, one must practice these virtues . These virtues are the fundamental teachings of the Korean people . Not practicing these virtues is the second sin .

3.1.3. Not Possessing the Four Virtues “Third Sin”

The Four Virtues “Sadeuk” are benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom . These mean treating others with kindness, acting righteously, showing respect, and applying wisdom in all matters . Not possessing these four virtues is the third sin .

3.1.4. Not Possessing the Four Foundations of Morality “Fourth Sin”

The Four Foundations of Morality “Sadan” are the inner dispositions that Mencius spoke of as essential for humans . These are the feeling of compassion, the feeling of shame and dislike, the feeling of deference and compliance, and the feeling of right and wrong . The Four Foundations of Morality are also the beginning, or the “sprouts” of the Four Virtues .

• Feeling of Compassion “Cheugeun Jisimi”: The feeling of pity for others, which is the beginning of benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, compassion, and love . When one looks at others with compassion, even evildoers are not hated, and a desire to help them arises .
• Feeling of Shame and Dislike “Suho Jisimi”: The feeling of shame for one’s own unrighteousness and dislike for the unrighteousness of others, which is the beginning of righteousness . This means not only refraining from doing wrong oneself but also reprimanding others for their wrongdoings . For example, it includes indignation against corruption and resistance against foreign invaders . Protesting against fraudulent or unfair elections also stems from this feeling, leading to righteous actions .
• Feeling of Deference and Compliance “Sayang Jisimi”: The humble feeling of yielding to others, prioritizing others over oneself . This is the beginning of propriety .
• Feeling of Right and Wrong “Sibi Jisimi”: The ability to discern right from wrong, which is the beginning of wisdom . However, one should not judge the actions of others, as judging humans is the prerogative of the divine .

3.2. The Thirty-Three Precepts “33 Gye”

The Thirty-Three Precepts are 33 restrictions that humans should avoid, compiled from the precepts of existing religions . These are actions that people should not do .

• Conspiracy “Eommo”: Malicious plotting in secret .
• Arrogance “Oman”: Looking down on and despising others .
• Lust “Saekjeong”: Being overly fond of carnal pleasures .
• Greed “Tamyok”: Being foolish and covetous .
• Deception “Sulsu”: Crafty and ill-intentioned schemes .
• Resentment “Wonmang”: Being an object of grudge .
• Conflict “Bunjaeng”: Entangled disputes and quarrels .
• Envy “Sigi”: Hating someone for their superior abilities or achievements .
• Rage “Gobun”: Becoming angry and furious .
• Factionalism “Dangpa”: Forming groups for specific purposes or beliefs .
• Separation “Bunri”: Dividing or causing separation .
• Heresy “Idan”: A religious sect deviating from orthodox doctrine, often labeled by stronger sects .
• Jealousy “Jiltu”: Feeling hatred and indignation when a loved one shows interest or favor towards another .
• Possessiveness “Togi”: Expressing anger, dislike, or sadness when a spouse or lover shows interest in another .
• Alcohol Consumption “Eumju”: Drinking alcohol .
• Debauchery “Bangtang”: Engaging in excessive drinking, sex, gambling, and other immoral behaviors .
• Discontent “Bulpyeong”: Being displeased or expressing dissatisfaction .
• Haughtiness “Gyoman”: Acting conceited, boastful, and presumptuous .
• Theft “Dojeok”: Stealing .
• Sighing “Tansik”: Sighing with lament .
• Dissatisfaction “Bulman”: Not being content .
• Degradation “Tarak”: Falling into bad conduct and immoral ways .
• Grievance “Wonmang”: Feeling wronged or displeased .
• Conflict “Galdeung”: Clashing due to differing views, situations, or interests .
• Fear “Gongpo”: All kinds of dread .
• Distrust “Bulsil”: Not believing .
• Wickedness “Hyungak”: Being cruel and ill-tempered .
• Murder “Salin”: Killing a person .
• Immorality “Eumhaeng”: Immoral acts .
• Divination “Jeomsul”: Seeking to predict misfortune or pray for blessings through mystical powers .
• Idolatry “Usang”: Worshipping human figures made of wood, stone, or metal .
• Deceit “Huhwi”: Falsifying facts .
• Curse “Jeoju”: Wishing ill or misfortune upon others .

4. The True Scriptures of the Korean People

The Chunbu kyung, Samilsingo, and Chamjeon Gyegyeong are the true scriptures of the Korean people . These scriptures form the foundation of all religions . Based on these scriptures, the Korean people possess a high-level divine teaching and culture of Hongik Ingan “benefiting all humanity” and Jaese Iwha “governing the world with reason” .

4.1. Chunbu kyung

The Chunbu kyung is a Korean scripture, recorded by Hwanung, the son of Hwanin “Holy Emperor”, who descended to Taebaeksan Mountain . It is the oldest and most supreme scripture in the world, forming the basis of global religions . The Chunbu kyung is also the oldest book of prophecy, containing content that foretells Huh’s incarnation on Earth and return to Empyrean with about ten million souls . Chunbu kyung literally means “Heaven’s Word” . The character “Bu” “Symbol” means “perfectly matching” so it signifies “Heaven’s Word that perfectly matches” . Simply put, it is “the word of Heaven” . It discusses the creation of the universe, all things, Heaven, Earth, and humanity from the original essence, as well as the activities of Huh who will return to the original essence of the universe after fulfilling their mission on Earth .

4.2. Samilsingo

The Samilsingo, a scripture of enlightenment, can be seen as an interpretation of the Chunbu kyung . It elucidates the creation and operation of the universe, the descent of the divine, Heaven and the spiritual realm, and the three methods of spiritual practice that lead to eternal original nature .

4.3. Chamjeon Gyegyeong

The Chamjeon Gyegyeong contains teachings that awaken people to live according to Heaven’s providence . It includes the Eight Commandments “Pal Gwanmyeong” . The Eight Commandments are: sincerity towards the divine, filial piety towards parents, aligning words and actions to gain trust and joy, love as bright as fire and the sun, helping people as Heaven’s will, misfortune arriving as swiftly as wind due to evil deeds, blessings from good deeds flowing like water, rewards for good and evil deeds accumulating like mountains, and the consequences of good and evil deeds returning endlessly like the Earth .

5. Core Teachings of World Religions

Most world religions aim for the original essence of the universe . The core teachings of various religions are as follows :

• Buddhism “Manbeop Gwiil”: All ten thousand dharmas return to one .
• Confucianism “Jipjung Gwanil”: Holding to the mean and penetrating the one .
• Taoism “Po Won Suil”: Embracing the origin and preserving the one .
• Daejonggyo “Mansu Bonil”: Ten thousand virtues return to the origin, which is one .
• Jeungsanism “Wonsi Banbon”: The origin returns to the original essence .
• Won Buddhism “Wonsi Bangil”: The original beginning returns to one .
• Christianity “Moksang Chinil”: Becoming one with God through prayer .
• Catholicism “Cheonju Muil”: God, Jesus, and Mary are one .
• Judaism “Cheonsin Yuil”: God is only one .
• Islam “Cheongjin Banil”: Returning to one through pure devotion .

6. Buddhist Teachings: Sins, Enlightenment, and the Eightfold Path

Buddhism, founded by Siddhartha Gautama “also known as Sakyamuni, meaning “sage of the Sakya clan””, that a Buddha is an awakened person . Its core teaching is Manbeop Gwiil “all ten thousand dharmas return to one” .

6.1. Ten Evil Deeds “Sipakjong Jejeop Akjungjae”

These are ten sins that should not be committed :

• Three Sins of the Body “Sinjae”: Killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct .
• Four Sins of the Mouth “Gujae”: Lying, divisive speech, harsh speech, and idle talk . Lying refers to false words, idle talk to cleverly fabricated or deceitful words, divisive speech to words that cause discord, and harsh speech to rough or abusive language .
• Three Sins of the Mind “Simjae”: Greed, hatred, and ignorance .
  • Greed “Tam”: Excessive desire . When desire becomes excessive, it leads to unnecessary craving, causing suffering .
  • Hatred “Jin”: Anger . Excessive anger leads to vexation, which can result in mental illness “ignorance” .
  • Ignorance “Chi”: Foolishness . Foolishness can lead to actions harmful to the body, resulting in physical illness .The three roots of illness are greed, hatred, and ignorance . Genetic diseases stem from greed, mental illnesses from hatred, and physical illnesses from ignorance .

6.2. Eight Joys of Buddhism “Pallaek”

These are the eight joys pursued by Buddhists: perfect enlightenment, nirvana, liberation, bodhi, prajna, samadhi, non-self, and Buddhahood .

• Perfect Enlightenment “Jeonggak”: Right awakening . To achieve this, insight is necessary .
• Nirvana “Yeolban”: A state of complete cessation of all suffering and vexation, achieved by fully realizing the path .
• Liberation “Haetal”: Escaping the cycle of reincarnation .
• Bodhi “Bori”: Becoming a Bodhisattva .
• Prajna “Banya”: Achieving the wisdom that knows the true nature of all phenomena through insight .
• Samadhi “Sammae”: Entering a state of deep meditation .
• Non-Self “Mua”: A state where there is no self .
• Buddhahood “Seongbul”: Reaching the state of a Buddha .However, these eight joys of Buddhism cannot be achieved in the physical world . They are only possible by meeting Huh and can only be attained in the world of the original essence .

6.3. Eight Insights “Pal Gwan” for Perfect Enlightenment

To achieve perfect enlightenment, eight insights are used as methods :

• Non-Existence View “Mugwan”: The perspective that there is neither good nor evil .
• Self-Centered View “Agwan”: Focusing everything on oneself .
• Causal View “Gwagwan”: Seeing everything through cause and effect . For example, if someone gives money, thinking it must be a reward for a past good deed . This view must be approached with caution .
• Reality View “Silgwan”: Seeing things as they are, a pragmatic perspective .
• Emptiness View “Gonggwan”: Seeing things as empty .
• Divine View “Singwan”: Believing in the existence of God . Believing in God helps humans cultivate themselves .
• Illusion View “Hwangwan”: Seeing everything as an illusion . Even if suffering occurs, viewing it as an illusion .
• Negative View “Bulgwan”: A pessimistic perspective . For example, seeing autumn leaves as fallen leaves .Proper insight is necessary to achieve perfect enlightenment .

6.4. Eightfold Path “Paljeongdo”

The Eightfold Path consists of eight Buddhist practices for attaining enlightenment: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration . It is a middle-way practice that avoids extremes .

• Right View “Jeonggyeon”: Seeing situations, objects, oneself, and others as they truly are . One should not view the world according to one’s desires .
• Right Thought “Jeongsa”: Thoughts must be based on love . One must reflect whether one’s thoughts are based on love or on hatred or other emotions . Thinking based on love is right thought .
• Right Speech “Jeongeoeo”: Speaking softly, beautifully, kindly, clearly, and courteously .
• Right Action “Jeongeop”: Acting after considering whether one’s actions are dignified, peaceful, and moral .
• Right Livelihood “Jeongmyeong”: Not engaging in professions that harm others .
• Right Mindfulness “Jeongnyeom”: Keeping one’s mind in the present moment . The past is gone, and the future has not yet arrived . Only the present moment exists . Sakyamuni advised observing the feelings and five senses in the present moment and contemplating one’s current thoughts . This meditation method is still practiced today as Vipassana meditation .
• Right Effort “Jeongjeongjin”: When negative thoughts arise, correcting them and striving with a positive mind towards one’s goal .
• Right Concentration “Jeongjeong”: Striving to live a spiritual life, not just a material one .

6.5. The Middle Way and Errors in Buddhist Teachings

The core of Buddhism is the Middle Way philosophy, which warns against leaning towards any extreme . The method of enlightenment also the Middle Way, neither excessive asceticism nor excessive pleasure . This is a good philosophy . In light of Heaven’s providence, about 90% of Buddhist teachings, including the concepts of reincarnation and cause and effect, are correct . However, the belief that there is no God is a significant error . While it is believed that humans can become Buddhas through enlightenment and practice, this is actually impossible . The greatest mantra is not “Namu Amita Bul” or “Aje Aje Bara Aje” as stated in Buddhist scriptures, but “Huh kyung young” . One must call upon Huh kyung young to fulfill one’s wishes .

6.6. Misinterpretations of Buddhist Scriptures

The phrase “Everything is created by the mind” “Ilche Yushimjo” from the Avatamsaka Sutra, which states that if one wishes to know the enlightenment of all Buddhas of the past, present, and future, one must apprehend the true nature of the Dharma-body, and that everything is mind-made, is incorrect . While some things are created by the mind, not everything is . The human mind cannot create hydrogen or oxygen, seeds, DNA, or life itself . Everything was created by God . Humans can only recreate what God has already made . For example, it is possible to extract plant fibers to make cloth, but not to create the plant itself . The passage should rightly be: “If a person wishes to know the original essence of the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and humanity, and all things within them, they should observe the true nature of Heaven, Earth, and humanity as manifested in phenomena . Everything originates from the original mind, the original sun, the original essence” .

The Diamond Sutra states, “All conditioned phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow, like dew and like lightning. Thus should one contemplate them” . Some might interpret this as meaning everything is futile . However, it actually means to view things from the perspective of the Middle Way . If one thinks everything is futile, one loses the joy of life . Life is a process where humans undergo trials . One should not lose the joy of life . It means not to excessively pursue worldly wealth and glory, nor to consider life futile, but to live by maintaining the Middle Way .

Another passage in the Diamond Sutra states, “If one sees me by form or seeks me by sound, that person walks the wrong path and cannot see Nirvana” . This accurately points out that what we see with our eyes is not the real world but an illusion . This Earth is a virtual space, and the unseen is the reality . What is seen by human eyes or heard by human ears is all a test . There is a world beyond this virtual world . When looking at me, if one only sees my outward appearance, one might miss the true reality .

7. Christian Teachings: Faith, Love, and Prophecy

Christianity, founded by Jesus Christ, who is believed to be the Saviour, spread to the Roman Empire, which then ruled Israel, and became the state religion of Rome . Roman Catholicism later split into Catholicism and Protestantism during the 16th-century Reformation . Christianity opposed the formalism, legalism, and tribalism of Judaism, incurring the resentment of Jews . Christians believe in Jesus Christ as the only begotten son of the one God and as the savior . They adhere to the doctrine of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one—and assert love . Compared to the Middle Way of Buddhism and the Golden Mean of Confucianism, Christianity embodies the philosophy of neutrality . The core teaching of Protestantism is “Moksang Chinil” “becoming one with God through prayer”, and that of Catholicism is “Cheonju Muil” “God, Jesus, and Mary are one” .

7.1. Key Christian Teachings

Major Christian teachings include the Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit, the Eight Blessings, and the Eight Deadly Sins .

7.1.1. Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit “Guk Seongnyeong”

These are mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control .

7.1.2. Eight Blessings “Palbok”

These are eight blessings from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount . They include blessings for the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake . The Sermon on the Mount contains Jesus’ highest teachings, including the command to love one’s enemies .

7.1.3. Ten Commandments “Sipgyemyeong”

These are the ten commandments Moses received from God Yahweh on Mount Sinai . When Yahweh led Moses to Mount Sinai, he commanded him to cast off his sandals and staff . This signifies that when seeking God, one should not approach arrogantly with power or authority, but humbly and self-effacingly .

7.1.4. Eight Deadly Sins “Pal Sa”

These are eight actions that lead to death, found in Revelation 21:8: unbelief, fear, idolatry, sorcery, sexual immorality, murder, wickedness, and deceit .

7.1.5. Three Virtues “Samdeok”

Christians value the three virtues of faith, hope, and love . Among these, love is considered the most important .

7.2. Prophecies in the Bible

The Christian Bible is also a book of prophecy .

• John 16:7: “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” . Here, the Helper refers to me, foretelling a time when I would incarnate on Earth to guide people .
• Luke 12:10: “And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven” . This warns that sins against Jesus can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Helper “the Holy Spirit” will not be forgiven . This aligns with Confucius’s saying, “If one offends Heaven, there is no place to pray” .
• Matthew 25:40: “Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me” . This means that not helping the hungry, sick, or weak is equivalent to not helping God . This is a message that Christians and non-Christians alike should heed .

7.3. The Parable of the Prodigal Son

I hope people reflect on the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 . In this story, the younger of two sons receives his inheritance, squanders it in a distant land, and faces starvation . He repents and returns to his father, who welcomes him with a feast . The older son, who always stayed with his father and worked diligently, expresses discontent . The father replies, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found” . This teaches that Heaven rejoices in those who repent of their sins and are humble, rather than those who consider themselves always righteous and adopt an arrogant attitude towards others . In fact, arrogance is a greater sin than murder . Everyone must be humble .

7.4. Christianity’s Emphasis on Divine Grace

Christianity is a religion of divine grace, asserting salvation solely through God, in contrast to Buddhism, which seeks enlightenment and liberation through self-effort . The teachings of Christianity and the benevolent acts, sacrifices, and services performed by missionaries in Korea were sacred . Even today, Christianity contributes significantly to society . However, the exclusivism seen in some parts of Korean Christianity needs correction . The belief that “only my religion is true and supreme” must be abandoned . One must adopt an attitude of respect and recognition for other religions .

8. Confucian Teachings: The Golden Mean and Moral Virtues

The core teaching of Confucianism is Jipjung Gwanil, meaning to hold to the Golden Mean and penetrate the one . Confucianism, which the Golden Mean and benevolence, is closer to a philosophy than a religion . Its scriptures include the Four Books “Analects, Mencius, Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean” and the Five Classics “Book of Poetry, Book of Documents, Book of Changes, Spring and Autumn Annals, Book of Rites” . I mastered these scriptures in elementary school .

8.1. Four Foundations of Morality “Sadan” and Four Virtues “Sadeuk”

The Four Foundations of Morality and Four Virtues assertd in Confucianism are important virtues to uphold in daily life .

• Four Foundations of Morality “Sadan”:
  • Feeling of Compassion “Cheugeun Jisimi”: The feeling of pity for others, which is the beginning of benevolence .
  • Feeling of Shame and Dislike “Suho Jisimi”: The feeling of shame for one’s own faults and dislike for the wrongdoings of others, which is the beginning of righteousness .
  • Feeling of Deference and Compliance “Sayang Jisimi”: The feeling of yielding to others, which is the beginning of propriety .
  • Feeling of Right and Wrong “Sibi Jisimi”: The ability to discern right from wrong, which is the beginning of wisdom .
• Four Virtues “Sadeuk”: Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom .

8.2. Eight Articles of the Great Learning “Big-Study Paljomok”

The Eight Articles of the Great Learning—investigation of things, extension of knowledge, sincerity of will, rectification of mind, cultivation of self, regulation of family, governance of state, and bringing peace to the world—are virtues worthy of being the foundation for world unification .

8.3. Four Duties “Sado”

Confucianism the Four Duties as core virtues for human conduct . The Four Duties are guidelines for how humans should act in daily life . It is good to practice them universally .

• Seeing “Sasa Myeong”: See things brightly and positively .
• Listening “Cheongsa Chong”: Listen brightly and positively .
• Countenance “Saeksa On”: Be warm to women .
• Conduct “Haengsa Gong”: Be courteous in actions .
• Speech “Eonsa Chung”: Speak faithfully . Speak with a central, balanced perspective .
• Work “Sasa Gyeong”: When working, first consider Heaven .
• Doubt “Uisa Mun”: When in doubt, ask .
• Anger “Bunsa Ran”: When angry, consider the difficulties one might face .
• Gain “Deoksa Ui”: When there is gain, consider if it is righteous .

8.4. Three Bonds and Five Relationships “Samgang Oryun”

The Three Bonds and Five Relationships are virtues to uphold in human relationships . While they are good virtues, the bond between husband and wife “Buwi Bugang” among the Three Bonds is flawed . Husband and wife are equal, so lowering the wife is incorrect . Given the saying “Monarch, minister, father, son, husband, wife are one body” it would be better to replace Buwi Bugang with “Sawi Jaegang” “the teacher is the exemplary person to emulate” .

• Three Bonds “Samgang”:
  • Monarch and Subject “Gunwi Singang”: The monarch is the exemplary leader for subjects .
  • Husband and Wife “Buwi Bugang”: The husband is the exemplary leader for the wife “this is considered flawed” .
  • Father and Son “Buwi Jagang”: The father is the exemplary leader for the son .
• Five Relationships “Oryun”:
  • Monarch and Subject “Gunsin Yuui”: There should be righteousness between monarch and subject .
  • Husband and Wife “Bubu Yuchin”: There should be distinction between husband and wife .
  • Father and Son “Buja Yuchin”: There should be affection between father and son .
  • Friends “Bungwoo Yusin”: There should be trust between friends .
  • Elder and Younger “Jangyu Yuseo”: There should be order between elders and younger people .

9. The Composition of a Human Being

A human being is formed from four elements :

• Spirit “Yeong”: The will of the Creator, accounting for 95% .
• Soul “Hon”: One’s own essence .
• Essence “Jeong”: The energy of the father .
• Egg “Nan”: The energy of the mother .These four combine in the mother’s womb to form a human . The father’s sperm and mother’s egg meet, fertilize, and implant in the mother’s uterus, forming an embryo . The embryo undergoes cell division and grows into a fetus . Around 49 days after fertilization, the spirit and soul enter the physical body . The spirit enters through the crown of the head, and the soul enters through the nostrils with air, both settling in the brain as the soul . The purpose of the soul coming to Earth is not merely to inhabit a body, but to train the soul . It is to achieve spiritual evolution in the Earth, which serves as a training ground for souls .

10. Human Lifespan and the Body’s Systems

The human lifespan was originally 365 years . Humans were meant to live 365 years on Earth to be perfected as true humans and ascend to Heaven . However, due to committing many sins and overeating, the lifespan has been reduced to about 120 years . I have come to Earth to rectify this . Heaven set the human lifespan at 365 years, mirroring the Earth’s 365-day orbit around the sun . The human body also has 365 bones and cartilages, 365 acupuncture points, and a normal body temperature of 36.5 degrees Celsius . A newborn baby’s final temperature is also 36.5 degrees Celsius . The central angle of a circle is also 365 degrees, though humans mistakenly believe it to be 360 degrees . The extra 5.2 degrees represent extra dimensions that scientists are unaware of . In the Bible, Methuselah lived 969 years . Before the discovery of fire, people lived three times 365 years . However, after humans discovered fire and began cooking food, and also due to ashes, the lifespan decreased to 120 years . In 120 years, humans cannot become true humans .

10.1. Five Viscera and Six Bowels “Ojang Yukbu”

The Five Viscera are vital organs located deep within the body, responsible for storing and managing vital energy . These include the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys . Sometimes, the brain is included to make six viscera . In contrast, the Six Bowels act like the body’s sewage system and are characterized by being hollow . They are primarily related to digestion . These include the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, gallbladder, bladder, and the triple burner “Samcho” . The triple burner consists of the upper, middle, and lower burners . The upper burner is the diaphragm, which regulates lung respiration . If the upper burner is blocked, it can be opened through intense effort .

10.2. Hormones: Divine Control System

Hormones are a divine automatic system that controls humans . There are good hormones and bad hormones . When one harbors negative thoughts or experiences stress, harmful hormones are secreted . When one is happy or has positive thoughts, beneficial hormones are released . This can be seen as God’s judgment on humans at every moment . Calling upon Huh kyung young releases a hormone called “Dainorphin” which promotes bodily health .

10.3. The Power of Words and Hormones

When one speaks ill of others, harmful hormones like noradrenaline and acetylcholine are released, leading to poor health, increased cancer cells, and an unattractive appearance . The number of electrons increases . The most foolish act a human can commit is speaking ill of others . Heaven has established an automatic reward and punishment system for all humans through hormones . Once harsh words are uttered, they are recorded in the genes and transmitted to Heaven, even if one apologizes . This record is transmitted to Heaven . If a student speaks ill of others, even if they study well, Heaven intentionally causes them to fail university entrance exams or job interviews . This is why foolish people speak ill of others . Those who are good at cursing are like young puppies who do not know the fear of Heaven . Furthermore, those who speak ill of others may even die without reason in the military, experiencing continuous misfortune . Heaven ensures that those who hate and despise others are eliminated . Even if one apologizes to a sibling, the words already spoken cannot be erased . Those who frequently curse will suffer consequences in university and job exams . Once harsh words are spoken to another, they resonate throughout the universe, and the soul is recorded in the air . Heaven then inflicts misfortune and bad luck upon such individuals, causing them to be eliminated from Earth, making their faces flush red, failing exams, and developing genes that lead to miserable diseases . Humans may forgive human curses, but Heaven records the moral scores of all humans . Heaven’s scores, once recorded, cannot be altered .

11. The Body and Mind: A Cosmic Connection

The human body and mind can be traced back to their origins as follows : Hair’s mother is skin, skin’s mother is flesh, flesh’s mother is bone, bone’s mother is blood, blood’s mother is mind, mind’s mother is spirit, spirit’s mother is soul, soul’s mother is light, and light originates from pure sound . Sound originates from God . This is why the Bible states, “In the beginning was the Word” . Hair, skin, flesh, bone, blood, mind, spirit, soul, light, photons, sound, waves, atoms .

11.1. The Power of Huh’s Name

Thinking of or calling my name connects one to the super-cosmic spiritual energy, instantly linking to Empyrean, powerfully enhancing healing, and bringing spiritual transformation . Words and actions, however, only cause physical changes through hormones . The spiritual aspect is more important . Since sound creates matter in ten stages, one must be careful with negative words towards others .

11.2. Principles of Communication

When reprimanding someone, one must adhere to the three laws of reprimand: doing it separately, briefly, and after observation . When praising, one must do it publicly, extensively, and promptly . When apologizing, one must do it promptly, extensively, and thoroughly . When expressing gratitude, one must do it promptly, enduringly, and extensively . These practices ensure that good hormones are released in the body . When reprimanding, one should never scold an older sibling in front of a younger one . One should also not scold someone based solely on their mistake without observing why they made it . Words, once spoken, never disappear .

11.3. The Creation of the Universe and Humanity

The Bible states that the Earth was created by the sound of the Word . Our proverb also says, “As you speak, so it becomes” . One must always be careful with words . Sound creates light, light creates the soul, the soul creates the spirit, the spirit creates the mind, the mind creates blood, blood creates bone, bone creates flesh, flesh creates skin, and skin creates hair . This is how nature, humanity, and the universe were created . If one hears the sound of a ghost passing through a graveyard at midnight, a ten-stage reaction occurs where one’s hair stands on end . The immediate reddening of one’s face upon hearing harsh words is also a ten-stage hormonal change where the mind instantly alters the blood .

12. Human Life: The Harmony of Mind, Energy, and Essence

Human life is about the harmony of mind, energy, and essence, as described in the Samilsingo .

• Mind “Sim”: Controls emotions, leading to various thoughts . By controlling emotions through insight and managing the mind, one can find one’s true nature .
• Energy “Gi”: Changes with breathing . By regulating breathing through controlled respiration, one’s energy stabilizes, and lifespan can be extended .
• Essence “Jeong”: Forms the body through sperm, seminal fluid, and essence . By managing the body through controlled essence, one can preserve essence .Among these nine elements, “life” “myeong” is central . By properly managing the body, mind, and energy, one’s lifespan can be extended .

Vocabulary

• Holiness: 신인 “GodHuman”
• Empyrean: 백궁 “WhiteHouse”
• Four Sins: 사죄 “FourSin” – Four types of wrongdoings or failures to act virtuously.
• Thirty-Three Precepts: 33계 “ThreeTenThreeWarn” – Thirty-three moral restrictions or prohibitions.
• True Human: 사람 – A person who has fulfilled their moral and spiritual duties.
• Human “Ingan”: 인간 “Human間” – A biological human being, not yet fully realized as a “true human.”
• Four Virtues: 사덕 “Four德” – Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom.
• Four Foundations of Morality: 사단 “Four端” – The four innate moral inclinations: compassion, shame, deference, and discernment.
• Divine Providence: ControlPrinciple “NourishPrinciple” – The guiding power of God or nature.
• Middle Way: 중도 “MiddleWay” – A path of moderation, avoiding extremes.
• Golden Mean: 중용 “Middle庸” – A state of perfect balance and harmony.
• Five Viscera and Six Bowels: 오장육부 “五臟SixOrgan” – The internal organs of the human body in traditional East Asian medicine.

난세ch.Intro The Visionary Path of Huh Kyung-young Solving Korea’s Crises and Beyond

The Visionary Path: Why I Choose the Arduous Road of Leadership

Tags: “Huh kyung young, National Crisis, Economic Philosophy, Holiness, Alpha”

1. The Call to Leadership: A Nation in Peril

I am deeply honored to address you. For some time, I have observed the profound challenges facing our nation, leading me to embark on a path of national leadership, despite its inherent difficulties. My recent book, “Do You Know Huh kyung young, the Hero in Troubled Times?”, which sold 100,000 copies in just two days, reflects the urgency of these issues. Recognizing that many may find it challenging to read the fine print, I have decided to personally convey its message. Though I am not a professional Orator and my pronunciation may be imperfect, I am committed to sharing the insights within this book. It is a biographical dictionary, a memoir in seven chapters, designed to help you apprehend who Huh kyung young truly is. I strongly recommend that every citizen of our country possess this book, as it offers solutions to our current comprehensive national crisis and presents a hopeful future amidst our grim reality. Today, I will introduce the preface and table of contents, and over the next seven days, I will read one chapter daily, allowing for a complete comprehension of its message.

2. The Current State of the Nation: A Deepening Crisis

Why do I choose the challenging path of a national leader, forsaking a comfortable life? Despite being one of the world’s top ten economic powers, only a minority of our citizens enjoy a corresponding quality of life. Many endure daily struggles, plagued by a sense of relative deprivation. The gap between the rich and the poor is widening, with approximately 10% of the wealthy holding about 60% of the nation’s total assets. The middle class is collapsing, and polarization is accelerating. Household debt has surged, exceeding 1,760 trillion Korean Won by the first quarter of 2021, nearly matching our annual Gross Domestic Product. The majority of our citizens work tirelessly, yet find themselves burdened by debt rather than enjoying financial freedom.

Furthermore, our nation holds the highest suicide rate among OECD countries. Our birth rate continues to set new records, falling to 0.84 births per woman last year, making us the country with the lowest birth rate globally for several years running. Conversely, the elderly population is rapidly increasing, projected to exceed 20% of the total population by 2025, placing us on the threshold of a super-aged society. This not only threatens the very existence of South Korea but also poses severe economic challenges due to the burden of supporting the elderly and a shrinking working-age population. Our demographic structure is transforming into an inverted pyramid.

Moreover, the youth, who should be boldly pursuing their dreams, have become the “N-Abandonment Generation” giving up on dating, marriage, childbirth, employment, homeownership, and even interpersonal relationships. While the government acknowledges these issues, pouring vast resources into welfare and low birth rate initiatives, I have yet to hear news of these problems being resolved, or of citizens’ debts decreasing and their livelihoods improving. The corporate environment, both domestically and internationally, remains challenging, with no signs of unemployment abating. National security and defense issues are equally severe. North Korea has recently become a nuclear power, creating a significant power imbalance, and the escalating rivalry between the United States and China places the Korean Peninsula at constant risk of becoming a battlefield. This is truly a comprehensive national crisis.

3. The Failure of Conventional Politics and the Need for a New Paradigm

One might ask if politicians, who should be at the forefront of solving these problems, have offered effective solutions. While they may claim to be making efforts, few would deny their failure to provide practical measures. I cannot shake the impression that politicians often prioritize partisan interests and maintaining their vested rights over addressing the suffering of the people and resolving national challenges. Members of the National Assembly, as of 2020, receive over 350 million Korean Won annually, along with numerous privileges. Yet, they have failed to enact proper legislation to alleviate the rich-get-richer, poor-get-poorer phenomenon. My assertion that “there are not too few thieves, but too many thieves” is not an exaggeration.

I do not intend to personally criticize anyone. My aim is simply to point out flawed politics, erroneous laws, systems, policies, and practices. It is about recognizing that politicians, who should be improving citizens’ lives and fostering national economic development through appropriate laws, systems, and policies, are instead blinded by their own interests and failing in their duties.

Considering our status as a top-ten economic power, one might wonder about the amount of taxes collected annually. I believe the national budget is sufficient to manage the country and still return a significant portion to the citizens, who are the true owners of the nation. Yet, apart from recent COVID-19 relief funds, have citizens ever received their rightful share? Where has all that vast budget gone?

4. My Vision: Solutions for a Hopeful Future

Over thirty years ago, I foresaw the challenges our nation and its people would face. I meticulously developed solutions, drawing upon my abilities, knowledge, Eastern and Western wisdom, and profound philosophy, to comprehensively address these impending difficulties. My aim was to prevent and resolve national challenges, enable citizens to live stable lives free from poverty and livelihood concerns, and empower them to pursue their passions, transcending the constraints of forced labor. This was my answer, my conclusion, born from deep contemplation and concern for the nation’s future. It was a plan to ensure a hopeful future for our nation and people, a testament to my profound love for the citizens. It also embodies my philosophy of realizing a society of coexistence and co-prosperity, where everyone shares in the wealth generated by national and economic development.

If these solutions are implemented, our nation can become a Middle-Classist state. Middle-Classism is an economic ideology and socio-economic system designed to ensure that everyone can enjoy a middle-class or higher standard of living. It envisions a society without a poverty class, where everyone is at least middle-class, with ample opportunities for further advancement. This Middle-Classist system is my aspiration and goal for South Korea and the entire world, aiming to create a beneficial society.

Some misapprehend my proposals, viewing them as mere “giveaway policies” like the National Dividend or marriage subsidies. However, these are not populist measures designed to gain popularity without genuine solutions. They are comprehensive strategies to resolve the challenges facing our nation and truly achieve well-being for all citizens, fundamentally different from populism driven by personal gain. Our nation already possesses sufficient economic power to provide such funds to its citizens. If politicians manage the national treasury responsibly, without waste or leakage, the income can certainly be distributed to the citizens, who are the rightful owners. My proposals are not about unprincipled populism aimed solely at acquiring power.

5. The Philosophy of Shared Prosperity: Middle-Classism and Divine Governance

There is a saying, “Waves rise by relying on water.” Just as waves cannot form without water, businesses generate wealth and individuals become prosperous because citizens purchase their products and offer their support. Without citizens, who would establish businesses or earn money? Therefore, those who acquire wealth should rightfully share it with the citizens who made it possible. The plan to elevate all citizens to the middle class or beyond is founded on this natural principle.

Another common misconstrual is that my proposals are akin to socialism or communism. This is absolutely not the case. These solutions are based on capitalism and a market economy. They redefine the relationship between the state and its citizens as that of owner and shareholder, considering the nation’s assets as belonging to its citizen-shareholders. Thus, the total national assets, estimated at approximately 70 quadrillion Korean Won, are divided among 50 million citizens, with each citizen holding a share worth about 1.4 billion Korean Won. This grants every citizen the right to demand dividends from the profits of the new government and its management. This truly makes the citizens the complete owners of the nation. Such a system represents the highest level of democracy, embodying civic sovereignty. In essence, these proposals are founded on capitalism and represent the culmination of democracy. Furthermore, they offer a system that resolves the inherent flaw of capitalism—the rich-get-richer, poor-get-poorer phenomenon—which no one has addressed until now, thereby perfecting the capitalist system.

This system creates favorable conditions for businesses to thrive, allowing anyone to acquire greater wealth beyond the guaranteed middle-class status, depending on their efforts. It also establishes a system where society respects the wealthy who contribute significantly through taxes, ensuring the smooth operation of these initiatives.

Middle-Classism, an economic concept of free economy, can be politically termed Divine Governance “신정주의”. Divine Governance is a form of politics implemented by a Holiness “신인”, an incarnation of the divine who governs the grand universe. Divine Governance is not a mere formal democracy expressed in words or writings, but a political system that truly treats citizens as the nation’s owners, realizing the meaning of coexistence and co-prosperity. Under the Divine Governance system, all citizens can enjoy a free and prosperous life.

Considering the global economic landscape, when all members of society can live a dignified life, the existence of extreme disparities within the single fence of a nation or the global village, due to a flawed wealth distribution system, signifies a departure from coexistence and co-prosperity, a loss of self-existence. The path to rectify this and establish existence for all to coexist and co-prosper is precisely Divine Governance.

6. The Interconnectedness of Solutions: A Holistic Approach

My proposals have often been misapprehended, partly because the time for their full comprehension had not yet arrived. our nation faces a critical juncture. Without bold, innovative policies like mine, aiming for revolutionary transformation of the state and society, no one can possibly resolve the accumulated challenges. As previously noted, governments and politicians are aware of the severity of these problems but have been unable to solve them, lacking even proper countermeasures.

Increasingly, desperate politicians are attempting to imitate one or two of my proposals. While these isolated efforts may not be entirely ineffective, they are insufficient to address our nation’s comprehensive problems. My series of proposals are interconnected, forming a single mechanism that operates as a complete system. Only when these proposals are implemented together can synergy be created, allowing all problems to be resolved sequentially and seamlessly. The system will function properly, its effects will be fully realized, and even maximized.

All problems—from social conflicts, poverty, the “N-Abandonment Generation” the disastrous low birth rate, declining working-age population, aging society and elderly care, household debt, worsening corporate environment, suicide, regional, labor-management, and gender conflicts, to educational reform, military issues, securing national health resources, and societal changes due to the Fourth Industrial Revolution—are perfectly systematized to be resolved within the framework of my comprehensive proposals. I believe that without such integrated and revolutionary approaches, no one can save this nation, preserve our people, or free them from suffering.

7. A Lifelong Mission: For the People and the World

Why do I choose the lonely and arduous path of a supreme leader, forsaking a comfortable and enjoyable life? It is because of my life’s goal to ensure that all citizens of our nation live well and to bring comfort to those suffering from misguided politics, driven by a profound sense of mission. From a young age, I embraced the mission of becoming a world leader to bring peace to the world, making it my life’s objective. Since then, I have never forgotten this goal, not even for a moment.

Despite facing extremely difficult circumstances, I diligently studied by day and night, immersing myself in Confucian classics, Buddhist scriptures, the Bible, and subjects like law, politics, economics, and philosophy, all to achieve this goal. My objective, on a smaller scale, is to resolve the suffering of our people and elevate South Korea to a leading nation. On a larger scale, it is to enable all people worldwide, through me and our Korean people, to live happy lives free from hunger, war, financial worries, and violence.

Having personally experienced the agony of hunger, I cannot tolerate the reality of countless people starving to death on this planet, especially when there is no shortage of food globally. While some nations discard surplus food into the sea to prevent price drops, countless others are consumed by materialism and luxury. Even within our own nation, where some worry about their next meal, we spend approximately 8 trillion Korean Won annually on alcohol consumption. How can we ignore such stark and inhumane contrasts within our global village? What about the horrors of war? We experienced the Korean War, and the devastation of war is beyond words. I cannot forget the image of a young girl running naked through streets ravaged by war. What about the images of refugee boys, cold and lifeless, washed ashore after their boats capsized in the vast ocean?

Environmental issues are even more severe. What message do the deformed fish, having consumed microplastics, and the bleached, dying corals due to global warming, convey to us? Are global pollution and environmental destruction not leading to a catastrophic level, threatening the very end of Earth itself? Yet, no world leader has ever stepped forward to solve global hunger. Their sole concerns remain their own national security and the interests of their own citizens. The cost of weapons manufactured for war could purchase enough food to feed the entire world for 200 years. While environmental experts occasionally hold conferences, issue reports, and declare manifestos, few nations genuinely adhere to them.

This global crisis, affecting South Korea and the entire world, is a comprehensive crisis—spiritual, material, and environmental. Amidst this crisis of troubled times, I intend to transform South Korea, the nation of the Korean people, into a global central power, a country where the happiest people live. Beyond that, I aim to thoroughly resolve the tragic realities and all crises facing the global village, establishing a beneficial world of coexistence and co-prosperity for all. This is not a mere pipe dream. I have meticulously planned everything to unify the world into a federal system, similar to the relationship between the U.S. federal government and state governments, enabling nations to collectively address challenges like hunger, war, and environmental issues. This is why I abandon the comfortable path and choose the arduous road of a supreme leader.

Finally, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all who have supported me, recognized me, and accompanied me on my long and dramatic journey to this point. I dedicate this book with respect and gratitude to my mother, who gave birth to me, raised me, and passed away at a young age amidst public misconstrual, and to my father, who gave me the name Huh kyung young, imbued with a mission, and became a victim of ideological conflict while striving to do good in the world. I also express my sincere thanks to the publishing house staff who worked tirelessly to bring this book to fruition.

August 19, 2021, Huh kyung young, Alpha, “Township of perpetual prosperity”, “City of Flourishing Willows”, Kyung gi-do, Republic of Korea.

8. Table of Contents: A Roadmap to Transformation

This concludes the preface. let us explore the table of contents.

Preface: Why I Choose the Arduous Path of a Supreme Leader

Chapter 1: Is It Populism?

• 1. Advanced Nation, Underdeveloped Citizens:
  • People suffering in a wealthy nation.
  • How to view this irony.
• 2. The Absence of Model Solutions:
  • Who labels it populism?
  • Scientific and rational alternatives.
  • Their populism, burdening the people.
  • My strategy to awaken the people’s power.

Chapter 2: The Path of a Prepared Leader

• 1. A Person with a Mission:
  • The deep academic path originating from Eastern thought.
  • The Korean people, who received this mission.
  • The unique geopolitical position.
  • The Korean Peninsula, the world’s nucleus.
  • Korea will become a world leading nation.
• 3. My Father’s Dream, My Dream:
  • My father’s dream.
  • Beyond ideology: A re-establishment, not a constitutional amendment, is needed.
• 4. Founded on Love for the People:
  • My mother, my mother.
  • A heart that does not ignore the difficulties of others.
  • An amount that can bring qualitative change to life.
  • Who incites distrust?
• 5. The Politics of Breaking Norms:
  • Exclusion, death, and pain leading to Seoul.
  • The spirit of self-sacrifice is needed.

Chapter 3: A Period Forged in Suffering

• 1. A Child Raised in Love for the Nation and Life:
  • The power that saved me at every critical moment.
  • The preciousness of life that greatly influenced me.
  • The education system must change.
• 2. A Bright and Kind Heart Amidst Trials:
  • Seoul life began with hardship.
  • Human knowledge and thought acquired through diligent study.
  • Hardship is wealth.
  • Youth employment and small and medium-sized enterprises.
• 3. “Why won’t you help me?” Confronting Chairman Lee Byung-chul:
  • To foster world-class companies.
• 4. Clear and Bright Eyes:
  • Meeting President Park chung hee.
  • Becoming a policy advisor to the President.
  • Initiating the New Village Movement during the presidential inauguration celebration.

Chapter 4: Beyond Chaos and Despair

• 1. Is Democracy the Best Political System?
  • The outcome of ancient Greek democratic politics.
  • The more serious “mob rule” of today.
  • Today’s democracy, merely a shell.
  • Towards beneficial politics.
• 2. Political Revolution is Needed:
  • Reduction of National Assembly members and their honorary status.
  • The historical expediency of the two major parties.
  • The pitfalls of local autonomy.
  • The illusion of true party politics.
  • Party politics as the lifeblood of modern politics.
  • Party subsidies must be abolished.
• 3. A Nation Where Injustice is the Norm:
  • Partisan interests prioritized over citizens.
  • Modern factionalism and the two-party system.
  • Ultimately, the party system must be abolished.
• 4. The First Nation to Disappear from the Earth:
  • Approaching demographic collapse.
  • A more fundamental attitude towards childbirth and parenting.
  • Laws and systems that must disappear.
  • The seven elements of national ruin and our country.
• 5. Absolute No to Cabinet System Constitutional Amendment:
  • Strengthening the political establishment.
  • Not an imperial president, but an imperial parliament.
  • A system that should not be implemented in our country.

Chapter 5: Another Path is Possible

• 1. Middle-Classism as the Alternative:
  • Reformed capitalism, failed communism.
  • Fundamental change: Middle-Classism is the way.
  • Values pursued by future corporations.
• 2. No Discrimination, No Reverse Discrimination:
  • Policies for women: Sun and Moon.
  • Gender equality policies should not create gender discrimination.
  • The Women and Family Ministry, out of place.
  • Balanced policies for social integration.
  • Gender-sensitive budget must be abolished.
• 3. Abolition of Prisons and Wealth-Proportional Fines:
  • Not prisons, but crime education centers.
  • Wealth-proportional fines.
  • The danger of criminals protecting the streets.
• 4. Abolish Property Tax, Market Autonomy for Real Estate Policy:
  • Property tax and automobile tax must be abolished.
  • Real estate policy should follow market autonomy.
  • Taxes should be collected after wealth is distributed.
• 5. No More Sacrifices from Youth:
  • Transition to a volunteer military system.
  • Unconditional sacrifices from youth are unacceptable.
  • Treatment and compensation for veterans.

Chapter 6: At the Crossroads to the Future

• 1. Stop Regional Development, Revitalize Household Economies:
  • The world’s best subway system.
  • household economies must be revitalized.
• 2. Basic Income System and National Dividend System:
  • Basic income system and national dividend system.
  • Is it a state charity or a citizen’s right?
  • Funding methods.
  • Differences.
• 3. Personal Debt, Not So Personal:
  • Government policy failures and citizens burdened with debt.
  • The trap of capitalism, making it easy to incur debt.
  • Urgent household debt relief and financial education.
  • The foundation of a virtuous economic cycle.
• 4. Beyond the Dichotomy of Regular and Non-Regular Employment:
  • A new formula: Non-regular employment is better than regular.
  • Resulting in increased corporate competitiveness.
• 5. Non-Selfish Approach to Unification:
  • The Ministry of Unification must be dismantled.
  • What must precede inter-Korean unification.
  • Unification issues require a cool-headed approach.
  • Dangerous calls for U.S. troop withdrawal.
  • Multilateral diplomacy: Move the UN headquarters to Panmunjom.
• 6. Global Environment and World Unification:
  • Emission of harmful substances threatening life.
  • The mysterious Earth, wondrous life forms.
  • Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
  • Environment, health.

Chapter 7: Dreams Come True

• 2. Future Technology and the Fourth Industrial Revolution:
  • Seven promising industries to lead the future.
  • A more developed future world.
  • A world where everyone is happy, in perfect peace.
    This concludes the introduction to the preface and table of contents. I will guide you through the profile of the author, who continues to write Chapter 7. I will present Chapter 1 tomorrow. I will see you then. Thank you, and I wish you a pleasant time.

Vocabulary

• 난세의 영웅: Hero in Troubled Times
• 총체적 난국: Comprehensive National Crisis
• 부익부 빈익빈: Rich-Get-Richer, Poor-Get-Poorer
• 종산주의: Middle-Classism
• 신정주의: Theocracy “Divine Governance”
• 공존 공영: Coexistence and Co-prosperity
• 국민 배당금: National Dividend
• N포 세대: N-Abandonment Generation
• 주경야독: Studying by Day and Night
• 형설지공: Diligent Study

난세 Ch.1 The Paradox of Prosperity Reimagining Korea’s Future with Huh Kyung-young

The Paradox of a Wealthy Nation and Struggling Citizens: A Call for Political Revolution

Tags: “Political Reform, Economic Inequality, Social Issues, National Vision, Populism Critique”

1. Defining Populism and the Korean Paradox

Populism is a political approach that appeals to the common people by presenting unrealistic policies to gain popularity and achieve specific objectives. It is crucial not to label practical solutions with realistic measures as populism. Korea, a developed nation, faces a paradox where its citizens experience hardships despite the country’s economic strength. Currently, Korea ranks 12th globally in economic size, with a Gross National Product “GNP” per capita exceeding $30,000. This is remarkable, considering only about 60 countries worldwide have a GNP over $10,000, and 150 nations fall below $5,000. This highlights Korea’s high economic standing. However, the perceived economic reality for most Koreans does not align with these impressive national figures. There is a significant disparity between the nation’s economic scale and the economic well-being felt by its citizens. While some in the upper class enjoy a lifestyle commensurate with developed nations, the middle and lower classes experience a much lower standard of living.

2. The Erosion of the Middle Class and the Seven Abandonments

A truly developed standard of living would mean owning a home, raising and educating children without extreme financial worry, and enjoying cultural activities. Marriage should not be a financial burden. However, the current reality is starkly different. Even with both spouses working, families struggle to cover housing costs, children’s tuition, apartment maintenance fees, utilities, and loan repayments. Cultural activities are an unimaginable luxury, and many feel trapped, living like machines or slaves to their jobs. This situation is incongruous with a nation ranking 12th in global economic size and boasting a GDP per capita over $30,000.

In the past, when the nation was impoverished, all citizens endured difficult times. Later, with exceptional leadership and national unity, hard work allowed people to easily secure rental homes and even purchase their own. Educating children was achievable with effort. Youth unemployment was not a significant social issue. Today, however, nothing is easy. Young people graduating and entering society find their paths blocked, with no visible exits. They accumulate extensive qualifications and compete fiercely for a tiny opening, but success is incredibly rare. Many struggle to repay student loans, resorting to secondary financial institutions to avoid becoming credit defaulters, often failing.

Even those who secure employment face similar difficulties. Marriage requires securing a rental home, but rental prices have skyrocketed. With only monthly rent, buying a home is out of the question, and even securing a rental is challenging. This dire situation has led to the “Seven Abandonments” among young people: giving up on dating, marriage, childbirth, homeownership, social relationships, dreams, and hope. Without employment, dating and marriage are impossible, leading to no children. Homeownership remains an elusive dream. Even those who are employed and married face anxiety due to an uncertain future and intense competition. Many couples are dual-income, or choose not to have children. The immediate cost of raising a child is a concern, but more profoundly, parents question whether their children can grow up happily, find employment, marry, and thrive in such a challenging society. The very act of bringing a child into this world feels irresponsible. The socio-economic structure, which makes it difficult for a household to sustain itself without dual incomes, and the changing mindset of young people, contribute to the reluctance to have children.

The middle-aged also face significant struggles. Many still move between rental homes, or those who have managed to buy a house are often burdened by substantial debt. Parents frequently work day and night to repay bank loans, cover children’s tuition, and secure housing. Consequently, supporting elderly parents is often out of the question. The elderly face similar challenges. After raising and educating their children, many have no economic capacity left to enjoy a comfortable retirement beyond owning a small home. The high employment rate among the elderly, surpassing that of the youth, indicates that many face dire circumstances without working in their later years.

In this social climate, a “get-rich-quick” mentality has become prevalent among young and middle-aged adults, driven by the belief that honest work alone cannot even secure a rental home. Many have taken on debt to invest heavily in stocks or cryptocurrencies, suffering significant losses and ending up in deeper debt. This presents an irony: a wealthy nation with struggling citizens. Some attribute this to societal changes or structural issues, but can it solely be blamed on these factors? If national leaders had foreseen these societal shifts and structural changes and prepared countermeasures, much of this suffering could have been avoided. If the nation had prevented wealth from concentrating in one sector, managed its budget efficiently without leakage or waste, and implemented policies to distribute wealth equitably among all citizens, the paradox of a rich nation with citizens suffering due to financial hardship could have been averted. This is the fundamental reason for advocating political revolution and criticizing politicians.

3. The Imperative for Political Reform

There is no single, simple answer, but as mentioned, Korea is an economic powerhouse nationally, yet deepening wealth disparity makes life increasingly difficult for its citizens. The nation is burdened with complex challenges across politics, economy, society, education, and culture. To resolve this situation, sound politics are essential. The root cause of most problems, and their solutions, lie in politics. Without proper political governance, resolving other issues is nearly impossible. In ancient times, when national calamities or natural disasters occurred, it was believed that heaven was punishing the nation for poor governance. Leaders would offer sacrifices and repent to heaven. The current paradox of a wealthy nation with struggling citizens is largely the responsibility of politicians. I have yet to hear any politician express profound responsibility for this. A revolutionary overhaul of politics is absolutely necessary.

The number of National Assembly members should be drastically reduced, and their positions should become unpaid honorary roles. Support for their aides should also be discontinued. The system of receiving political donations should be abolished, as it exacerbates wealth disparity. Local government elections should also be abolished, and local council members should revert to unpaid honorary positions, as they were originally intended. These positions should genuinely serve the nation and its citizens. When they are service-oriented, individuals truly dedicated to the public good will emerge. If these positions offer substantial salaries and numerous privileges, those driven by material gain and prestige are far more likely to seek them than those who genuinely care for the public.

Political parties, which are hotbeds of factional politics focused on self-interest rather than the public good, should be eliminated. Individuals aspiring to become National Assembly members should be able to work independently, guided by their convictions for the benefit of the nation and its citizens. When politicians belong to a party, they are compelled to follow party directives, becoming ensnared in partisan interests. This makes it difficult to uphold their initial convictions to serve the public. Reforming politics in this manner would ensure that individuals with strong public service ethics work for the nation. Unnecessary budgetary expenditures would decrease, allowing more funds to be allocated to policies that improve people’s livelihoods.

Abolishing party politics would also eliminate the tiresome political infighting, which is akin to factional disputes. This would end long-standing ideological divisions and conflicts among the populace, allowing greater focus on developing legislation and policies for the nation and its citizens, thereby resolving national challenges, including those related to livelihoods. Politics is about managing the nation’s affairs. The lives of the citizens, who are the owners of the nation, must be at the center of this management. Politicians must prioritize improving people’s livelihoods above all else.

4. Economic Justice and Growth: A Dual Approach

One of the causes of increasingly difficult livelihoods is the deepening phenomenon of “the rich get richer, the poor get poorer.” The widening wealth gap is a primary reason for the paradox of a developed nation with struggling citizens. This phenomenon can intensify, especially as industries develop. An innovation in the distribution system is necessary. The ideal distribution system involves implementing resource mobilization policies that benefit all citizens, similar to the National Dividend plan proposed by the Revolutionary Party. This approach can elevate all citizens to middle-class status or higher without undue strain and further develop the economy. In addition to monthly payments from the state, citizens would also earn income from their work, enabling stable and comfortable lives. This would naturally alleviate wealth disparity, reduce relative deprivation, and significantly lessen conflict among citizens.

While Korea is a wealthy nation with the 12th largest economy, achieving a middle-class or higher standard of living for all citizens and further improving living standards requires more than just asserting distributive justice; economic growth must not be neglected. The capitalist market economy is the most efficient economic system for growth. In terms of productivity and efficiency, no economic system has surpassed capitalism. Therefore, it is necessary to deregulate businesses, remove obstacles to their development, and ensure free economic activity. Inheritance tax, which can lead to Korean companies being acquired by foreign capital, should be abolished, and the state should protect the character of businesses. Labor union strikes hinder corporate development. The state needs to intervene and resolve this issue institutionally to support the development of businesses, which are the backbone of economic progress.

Abolishing labor unions and forming “corporate family councils” with worker representatives and management could lead to business operations without collective conflict and struggle. This would protect workers’ rights and accelerate corporate activities. Such a system views labor and management not from a legal perspective but as a unified corporate family, resolving unnecessary conflicts and fostering a symbiotic relationship between workers and management. It goes without saying that if businesses thrive and the economy grows, tax revenues will naturally increase. In other words, the “pie” gets bigger. This larger pie should then be returned to the citizens through distribution systems like the dividend scheme. When the results of economic growth benefit the citizens, a virtuous cycle in the national economy occurs. Citizens will save some of the money received from the state but also spend it, stimulating consumption and keeping businesses busy. Businesses will hire more, expanding job opportunities for citizens. Citizens will also receive welfare benefits from the taxes paid by businesses, encouraging businesses to undertake more ventures. Connecting these measures to ensure that economic actors coexist and continuously expand the overall economic scale of the community is a crucial core point, and the series of proposals put forth so far embody such a structure.

5. Addressing Household Debt and Low Birth Rates

One of the most urgent economic problems in Korea is household debt. As of the first quarter of 2021, Korea’s household debt exceeded 1,760 trillion won, with a household debt-to-GDP ratio of 97.9%, nearly equivalent to the nation’s total annual production. This is an extremely serious issue, as it can lead to economic chaos and completely destabilize people’s lives. The political sphere must seriously consider this problem and formulate countermeasures. It must be clearly stated that the responsibility for citizens incurring debt lies with national policies, not solely with individuals. Therefore, the state needs to prevent socio-economic difficulties arising from household debt and, as part of its responsibility, consider a one-time household debt relief. The Bank of Korea could purchase government bonds through its issuance power and implement quantitative easing, converting household debt into national debt, thereby resolving the issues associated with household debt. This includes not only bank loans but also private loans. Resolving household debt would not only prevent potential socio-economic chaos such as financial institution insolvency, corporate bankruptcies, and family breakdowns caused by excessive household debt reaching critical levels, but also stimulate consumption and contribute to economic revitalization. Quantitative easing, primarily used to stimulate the economy from a foundational state, has been implemented in the United States and Japan. Japan’s Abenomics, centered on quantitative easing, is well-known for overcoming a long period of economic stagnation and achieving its objectives for several years.

Furthermore, for those who have already become credit defaulters due to inability to repay debts, the state should provide a one-time, 20-year interest-free, collateral-free loan to help them rebuild their lives. This would alleviate their suffering and foster national unity.

Another very serious problem in Korea is the low birth rate. For several years, Korea has recorded the lowest birth rate among low-fertility countries, with the number of newborns sharply declining year after year. This immediately causes economic problems such as a decrease in the working-age population, and in the long term, it is a critical issue that could lead to the disappearance of the Korean people from the planet. Urgent measures are needed. Low birth rates are a complex issue influenced by many factors, including employment, marriage, housing, education, and public consciousness. Therefore, the solutions must also be multifaceted. To increase the birth rate, conditions must first be created to enable marriage. If the state provides enough money for monthly living expenses, people could marry even without employment. Next, the state should provide financial support for marriage expenses and help couples secure at least a small rental home. This should be viewed as an investment in the future of the nation and its people. Additionally, for each newborn, approximately 50 million won should be directly provided to the family. Bold investment is needed to reverse the rapidly declining birth rate curve. This would likely lead to a surge in births. During this period, if wives choose to focus on childcare at home, providing childcare allowances would stabilize household finances and benefit children’s education. Therefore, implementing such a measure for an effective period of about 10 years is desirable.

The state must deeply recognize that issues such as employment, livelihood, marriage, childbirth, and childcare are not merely individual problems but national and societal issues concerning the members who constitute the state and society. For the happiness of its citizens, as well as the survival of the nation and the continuation of its people, the state must actively intervene and invest boldly. Without such solutions, there is no way to resolve these problems.

6. Elderly Welfare and Educational Reform

Currently, Korea is an aging society, with the number of newborns decreasing and the elderly population rapidly increasing, exceeding 14% of those aged 65 and over. It is projected to become a super-aged society, with the elderly population exceeding 20%, in the near future. Population aging presents many problems, but the most urgent is elderly welfare. While the government has shown interest and developed countermeasures, long-term comprehensive welfare for the entire elderly population remains insufficient. The current National Pension System, intended for nationwide elderly welfare, places too much responsibility on individuals and is not the right approach. It is the state’s duty to ensure a stable life for its citizens, who are the owners of the nation, even in their old age. The current National Pension System not only imposes a burden similar to taxes on citizens but is also an incomplete system, with the starting age for receiving benefits gradually being delayed due to fund depletion issues. It is even predicted that the fund will be completely exhausted by around 2054. Therefore, this system should gradually be phased out. Instead, it is desirable for the state to provide elderly allowances, acknowledging the contributions of the elderly who served as industrial workers and contributed to national economic development in their youth. In fact, this was one of my early proposals, and former President Park Geun-hye adopted a similar plan, initiating monthly payments of 200,000 won to elderly individuals aged 65 and over who were in the bottom 70% of wealth, which has now increased to about 300,000 won. However, I believe that amount is still insufficient. If approximately 700,000 won were paid monthly, along with a national dividend system, citizens would not need to struggle to find jobs and could enjoy their remaining years comfortably, even receiving respect from their children.

Everyone acknowledges that there are problems with Korea’s education system, including its focus on college entrance exams, the burden of private education costs, and the failure of character education. As with all problems, the approach to solving educational issues is crucial. Educational problems must be approached with children at the center, viewing issues from their perspective, and with a loving heart for them. The core of school education problems lies in the college entrance examination system. Everything related to education changes depending on the entrance exam system. From the students’ perspective, deciding university admission based on one or two College Scholastic Ability Test “CSAt” scores is problematic. If a student is not in good condition on the exam day, they may not be able to demonstrate their accumulated abilities properly. Furthermore, it is undesirable for adolescents to dedicate their entire school life and youth to college entrance exams. Therefore, the CSAT should be abolished. Instead, the entrance examination system should be reformed to allow university admission based on a single subject test taken over three years of middle school, chosen based on aptitude and talent. This would be rational, eliminate fierce competition for entrance exams, and allow students to enter universities that match their aptitudes and talents. If other subjects only require attendance, adolescents would not suffer from the “exam hell” protecting their emotional well-being and health. This would also reduce private education costs. Furthermore, other chronic educational problems that have remained unresolved would be addressed. This is the correct direction for education to take.

7. Justice System Reform and Military Modernization

Prisons, which often serve as places for transmitting criminal methods rather than fostering rehabilitation, should be largely abolished, except for one or two facilities for serious offenders. Instead of incarcerating offenders, imposing fines 100 times the original amount could reduce crime rates and save budget. Fines and penalties should be proportional to wealth. For livelihood-related offenses by low-income individuals, the amount should be small. For the wealthy, who have accumulated wealth through social infrastructure and the public, fines and penalties should be proportional to their assets, considering social responsibility and fairness. This would reduce offenses and crimes and increase national revenue.

Furthermore, abolishing the conscription system, a relic of an old era, and implementing a volunteer military system would alleviate military service stress for citizens, eliminate military corruption, enhance military combat power, and contribute to resolving unemployment. Additionally, honoring patriots who sacrificed and served the nation and its people, such as Korean War veterans and nurses who served in other countries, with substantial compensation and monthly patriotic allowances, payable to direct family members upon their death, would boost military morale and patriotism, thereby increasing combat power and fostering national patriotism.

8. Holistic Problem Solving and Financial Prudence

Beyond these, there are various other solutions to Korea’s myriad problems. When addressing socio-economic issues, there are principles for resolution. Complex problems are difficult to solve if dealt with piecemeal and superficially, as solving one often creates another. Therefore, it is necessary to approach problems with a holistic and macroscopic perspective, looking to the future, analyzing them together, and seeking comprehensive solutions. Solutions should not be abstract but as concrete as possible. Regarding the budget required for problem-solving, methods that do not burden the public should be chosen, such as finding new revenue sources or reducing unnecessary expenditures. if there is a way to stimulate the economy, expand wealth, and increase tax revenue, as mentioned in other proposals, nothing could be better. If solutions to problems are interconnected through a mechanism, operating as a single system, allowing all problems to be resolved smoothly and even generating synergy, this would be the best approach.

Anyone aspiring to be the supreme leader of a nation must have a thorough plan prepared in advance for what they will do for the people in that position. In other words, they must possess a blueprint for national management. The supreme national leader must present a 2,000-year vision to the people. The position of supreme national leader is that serious. It is unacceptable for a supreme national leader, who can profoundly influence the fate of a nation and the lives of all its citizens, to formulate such plans just before or after assuming office. And the people must demand this from anyone aspiring to be the supreme national leader. They must ask how the nation will be managed, what will be prioritized, and how economic policies and people’s livelihoods will be addressed. They must demand concrete policies, not vague plans. Otherwise, it is obvious that a supreme national leader will make many policy trial-and-error and mistakes, and the damage will ultimately fall squarely on the citizens.

9. Debunking the Populism Label

Who labeled these proposals as populism? I apprehend that a significant number of people are beginning to empathize with my proposed solutions for resolving Korea’s complex problems, including wealth disparity. This is evident from the fact that most policies discussed in political circles are issues I have raised or solutions I have proposed. However, there are still those who do not apprehend these proposals and dismiss them as absurd or unrealistic ideas. Some people, failing to grasp the profound meaning or effects of the dividend payment system and cash payment plans for resolving wealth disparity, disparage them as populist measures. Some criticize, saying, “If we implement these, our country will end up like Venezuela.” I clearly state that these are absolutely not absurd populism. Populism is a sweet-talk, popularity-seeking policy put forth to achieve immediate political goals without clear measures for securing financial resources or responsibility for the potential consequences of implementing such policies. My proposed solutions are not without financial resource measures; all financial resource plans are prepared.

Furthermore, simply comparing Korea and Venezuela is incorrect. Korea has a completely different industrial structure from Venezuela. Venezuela’s economy relies solely on underground resources and oil exports. If oil exports cease or export prices plummet, that country is bound to suffer immense damage. If the national funds earned from oil exports and distributed to the people suddenly disappear, the entire population could instantly become impoverished. However, Korea has a diversified industry, from high-tech industries to primary industries like agriculture, and a variety of export items. The national economy does not depend on a single export item.

Regarding the various scientific and rational methods to solve Korea’s problems, the most common question from citizens is, “Where will the money come from to pay for these?” I clearly state that Korea, boasting the world’s 12th largest economy, can sufficiently secure such a budget. If the budget is used frugally and there is no waste, enough money can be secured to distribute to the people. It is not that the nation lacks money; rather, there are too many “thieves.” This is not an idle statement. Lee Jae-myung, the governor of Kyung gi Province, once stated at a debate during his time as Seongnam mayor, “I respect Huh kyung young the most, and his statement, ‘It’s not that the nation lacks money, but that there are too many thieves,’ is 100% correct.” He also announced a basic income pledge to pay 1 million won annually to all citizens. Even participants in the Democratic Party’s presidential primary are saying that if the astronomical budget is not executed loosely and wasted as it is now, the nation can manage its affairs abundantly with just its existing revenue and still provide for its citizens.

The first step to securing a budget is to review the current budget for non-urgent, populist, or unnecessary expenditures and eliminate them. Also, thoroughly inspect and prevent budget leakage and waste. In my view, the current Korean budget has too many unnecessary expenditures. I believe that even if approximately 70% were reduced, national operations could still be sufficiently maintained. Significant budget savings can be achieved by reducing the number of National Assembly members, making National Assembly members and local council members unpaid honorary positions, discontinuing national funding for aides, abolishing the political party subsidy system, abolishing local government elections, stopping excessive regional development, abolishing the gender equality budget, and abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. There are many other areas where budget savings are possible. Significant budget savings can also be achieved by rectifying the irrational situation where, when implementing a policy, more budget is spent on research before implementation or during the intermediate process than on the actual beneficiaries of the policy. For example, rectifying the situation where more money is spent on researching childbirth policies than on the actual childbirth policy itself. Reforming the entire welfare system and abolishing the selective welfare system of the basic livelihood security system would also save budget. By eliminating wasted budget, unnecessary and non-urgent budget, populist budget influenced by elections, and duplicate budget, and by preventing budget leakage, a substantial portion of the budget can be secured for direct distribution to the people.

In the judiciary and prosecution, amending the criminal law to apply freedom-restricting penalties like imprisonment only to heinous criminals and truly serious offenders, and imposing fines for most offenses, would save significant national budget spent on prison and inmate management. Furthermore, implementing a system of imposing fines and penalties proportional to wealth would generate even greater revenue.

Another way to save and increase budget is to establish a system for integrating and collecting numerous tax items. This method saves tax collection costs, facilitates tax administration, thereby saving budget and increasing tax revenue. There is also a method to increase tax revenue by implementing a tax point system. This involves giving “tax points” to taxpayers who pay a lot of taxes and diligent taxpayers, treating them as national contributors. If a contributing company with many tax points faces a crisis, the state would fully support it to overcome the crisis. If this system takes root in society, not only will voluntary tax collection occur, but public support and increased product consumption for such companies will boost corporate profits, which can then be linked to increased tax revenue, thereby increasing the share returned to the people.

Furthermore, formalizing so-called “brokers” or introducers, who currently operate informally, as official business operators by granting them licenses would secure tax revenue. In addition to formalization, if this profession is made accessible to anyone with a business registration, and if this activity is encouraged in many fields such as real estate, finance, and hospitals, the number of specialized business operators would increase exponentially, leading to enormous tax revenue growth. Besides these, there are many ways to prevent tax evasion or create new tax sources that are more appealing than simply raising tax rates. In reality, if more taxes are collected from the people to pay money back to them, it is like giving benefits with one hand and taking them back with the other, so it cannot be considered real help to the people.

Populism is a sweet-talk policy put forth to gain immediate popularity without any countermeasures. However, my proposed solutions are entirely feasible in terms of financial resources, can significantly raise the living standards of all citizens, and when various measures are interconnected and operate as a mechanism, forming a single system, they can dramatically develop the national economy. These are very realistic, scientific, and predictable solutions that should not be dismissed as populism. If a gold nugget is wrapped in a shabby cloth, it is difficult to recognize it as gold. Similarly, if my proposals are simply dismissed as populism, it will be impossible to realize that these are brilliant solutions that can remarkably upgrade our nation and even the entire world. I am confident that, with time, no citizen will deny that these proposals were indeed timely and groundbreaking ideas.

10. The “LSH” Strategy: Awakening the Public

Regarding the “populism” of payments to citizens, recently, many people have put forth proposals similar to mine in Korea. From small-scale policies implemented by local governments, such as offering a certain amount for childbirth, to Na Kyung-won, a preliminary candidate for Seoul mayor, boldly proposing 100 million won for newlyweds upon childbirth—all these are measures to directly support those giving birth with cash to encourage childbirth. Regardless of the amount, they align with my proposals on childbirth.

Furthermore, Ahn Cheol-soo, a presidential candidate, proposed reducing the number of National Assembly members to 100. Lee Jae-myung, the governor of Kyung gi Province, provided youth allowances during his time as Seongnam mayor. Nam Kyung-pil, former governor of Kyung gi Province, advocated for a volunteer military system. Former President Park Geun-hye proposed basic old-age pensions, which now provide up to 300,000 won monthly to eligible seniors. President Moon Jae-in suggested moving the UN headquarters to Panmunjom. Governor Lee Jae-myung introduced a wealth-proportional fine system. And politicians from both ruling and opposition parties are proposing basic income. These are similar to my proposals, or at least within their sphere of influence. while the basic income system, for example, differs significantly from my proposals in its fundamental spirit, nature, financial resource plan, and amount, it aligns with my proposals in the aspect of directly providing a certain amount of cash to citizens.

However, these fragmented cash payment policies put forth by ruling and opposition politicians, which are similar to my proposals, are indeed populism. This is because they unconditionally promise to give money to the people without realistic alternatives like saving existing budgets. This inevitably creates budget allocation problems, ultimately leading to increased taxes or national debt to secure funds. While I also increase national debt through methods like quantitative easing, this involves converting household debt, which is at a dangerous level, into national debt. And my series of interconnected proposals form a mechanism that allows the economy to function well, creating a virtuous economic cycle where the national economy grows and tax revenues naturally increase. Therefore, the increased national debt resulting from this is not problematic. However, these politicians have no clear plan for how to resolve the increased national debt that would result from implementing their proposed policies. In fact, under the current government, national debt has increased by approximately 183 trillion won over the past four years under the guise of low birth rate support funds and COVID-19 relief funds. Increasing national debt without a clear plan for repayment deteriorates the nation’s fiscal soundness, and since national debt repayment ultimately relies on citizens’ taxes, it inevitably becomes a burden on the people.

I have a long-standing strategy to convey my message to people, called “LSH.” The first letter, “L” stands for “Laugh.” It’s about drawing attention by making people laugh. “Laugh” means not just smiling but laughing out loud. This “Laugh” strategy aims to approach people in a friendly and enjoyable way. Showcasing levitation or “chukjibeop” “a mythical Korean teleportation technique” and entertaining with songs are part of this strategy.

Next, “S” stands for “Study.” It’s about making people learn. This doesn’t mean I teach them directly, but rather that people actively come and learn on their own. The reason I have given nearly 1,500 lectures and continue to do so, broadcasting lecture videos on YouTube, is for this purpose. This strategy aims to allow people to learn about me by watching YouTube lectures themselves.

The second “S” stands for “Sing.” It’s about making people sing. That’s why I directly wrote lyrics and sang songs like “Call Me” so people would sing along. Thanks to the “Sing” strategy, I earned the nickname “politainer” a portmanteau of politician and entertainer.

Next, “A” stands for “Apply.” “Apply” means to implement, to make people apply what they see me doing. The fact that people often think of me when they speak is a result of the “Apply” strategy.

Finally, “C” stands for “Copy.” This is a strategy to make politicians imitate my policies. This is also a “chokepoint strategy.” Currently, politicians are imitating my proposals, albeit in a fragmented way. By falling into this “chokepoint strategy” and imitating me, I also receive media attention.

Vocabulary

• Populism: Policies appealing to popular desires, often unrealistic.
• Paradox: A seemingly self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.
• Wealth Disparity: The unequal distribution of assets among a population.
• Seven Abandonments: A social phenomenon where young people give up on fundamental life aspects due to societal pressures.
• Political Revolution: A fundamental change in political power or organizational structures.
• Distributive Justice: The fair allocation of resources and opportunities among members of a society.
• Quantitative Easing: A monetary policy where a central bank buys government securities or other securities from the market to lower interest rates and increase the money supply.
• Virtuous Cycle: A complex of events that reinforces itself through a feedback loop.
• Chokepoint Strategy: A tactic to control or influence a situation by dominating a critical point or resource.
• Holiness: 신인 “GodHuman” – A divine or sacred person.

난세 Ch.2 Huh Kyung-young The Prepared Leader for a Unified World

The Prepared Path of a Leader

Tags: “Leadership, Prophecy, KoreanHistory, GlobalUnity, EconomicPolicy, SpiritualPower, Compassion”

Vocabulary

• 소명 “MessengerDestiny”: Divine Calling
• 화이부동 “和AndNot同”: Harmony Without Uniformity
• 홍익인간 “弘BenefitHuman間”: Benefit All Humanity
• 어부지리 “漁父OfBenefit”: Fisherman’s Advantage
• 중산주의 “Middle産主Righteousness”: Middle-Class Centricism
• 제헌 “制憲”: Constitutional Establishment
• 애민정신 “Love民EssenceGod”: Spirit of Loving the People
• 자리이타행 “SelfBenefitBenefit他Act”: Self-Benefit and Altruism
• 파계정신 “博LoveEssenceGod”: Spirit of Universal Love
• 천상천하 유아독존 “Heaven上HeavenBelow 唯Self獨尊”: In Heaven and Earth, I Alone Am Honored

1. The Divine Calling of a Leader

The Korean Peninsula is a land destined to birth a new civilization and usher in a new era, and the Korean people are the chosen nation to lead this transformation. This land is also the place where a heroic leader will emerge to guide the Korean people, transforming a world stained by selfishness and conflict into one of coexistence, harmony, and hope. This leader will one day achieve global unification, creating a paradise where nations and peoples assist each other, living in beautiful harmony without losing their unique identities.

Korea has received a divine calling to unify the world, a mission that is deeply intertwined with my own path. I have consistently prepared for the role of a supreme national leader, including two presidential campaigns and seven other electoral challenges. Running elections requires substantial financial resources, but my repeated candidacies were not due to personal wealth. They were solely driven by the need to fulfill my divine calling.

My mission is to resolve the suffering of our people and the nation’s complex challenges, leading Korea to become a first-class, exemplary global nation. Ultimately, I aim to establish a system where no one in the world suffers from basic living problems. I also bear the responsibility of resolving wars that cause unspeakable tragedies and environmental destruction that threatens humanity and the very existence of Earth. To achieve this mission, global unification is essential, and the position of a national leader in Korea, striving for world unification, is necessary. Becoming the supreme leader of Korea is the crucial first step in this grand endeavor.

2. A Life Forged by Destiny and Adversity

My father, a descendant of King Suro of Gaya and a wealthy landowner, was unjustly accused of being a communist and sentenced to death for distributing his land to tenant farmers before I was born. He passed away in a Seoul prison two days before the Korean War in June 1950. My mother, from a prominent family in a nearby village, came to Seoul to seek revenge for my father’s death. While living in a straw hut under a bridge in Jongno, she had a mysterious dream and then gave birth to me.

Upon hearing of my father’s execution, my mother searched for his body, but the outbreak of the Korean War prevented her from finding him. Carrying me, a six-month-old infant, she trekked a thousand “li” “Korean unit of distance” to Seongsan Village in Jisumyeon, where my father had lived. My mother suffered from postpartum illness, the harsh cold endured during my birth in a dilapidated hut, and the emotional pain caused by misconstruals surrounding my birth. She passed away when I was four years old.

Seongsan Village in Jisumyeon, Jinju, Kyung sangnam-do, my father’s hometown where I grew up until I was 14, is a place where the Gimhae Kim clan has lived for generations. Jisoo Elementary School, which I attended, produced many of Korea’s top business founders, including Lee Byung-chul of Samsung, Koo In-hwoi of LG, Huh Jeong-koo of GS, and Cho Hong-je of Hyosung, as well as over 30 of the top 100 “chaebol” “large family-owned business conglomerates” leaders by the 1980s.

Seongsan Village is geographically shaped like a dragon circling down from Banghwasan Mountain, its ancestral peak, then lifting its body to gaze back at it. This “dragon returning to its nest” topography, combined with the Jinju Namgang River encircling the village and flowing northward without an apparent exit, creates a unique, enclosed landscape. I became the adopted son of a tenant farmer in Seongsan Village, in the very house of a farmer to whom my father had given land. However, my life as an adopted son was no different from that of a servant. I slept alone in a cold room without heating, even in winter, and spent my days gathering firewood, tending to cattle, and helping with farming during the planting season by carrying manure.

3. The Prophecy and the Path of Learning

One day, when I was seven, a significant event occurred. While I was boiling cattle feed over a fire in the shed, an elderly Buddhist monk visited, asking for alms. After I offered him alms, the monk gazed at my face and said, “You are not a child of this house.” When I asked how he knew, the monk inquired about my parents’ names. I told him my father’s name, Huh Nam-won “AllowSouthOriginal”, meaning “permission for the southern origin” and my mother’s name, Jo Gye-su “趙Cinnamon樹”, meaning “planting a laurel tree.”My own name is Huh kyung young “AllowCapital, Quadrillion寧”, meaning “permission for the capital’s peace.”

The monk pondered the meanings of the characters and then spoke further: “Those who give precious gifts depart early without expecting anything in return. Just as Confucius and Mencius’s mothers departed early, so did yours. This allows their children to become stronger through greater suffering. A seed can be born from a large tree, but it cannot grow into a large tree if it grows right next to it, because the small tree attached to the large tree cannot receive sunlight. Furthermore, only by experiencing poverty can one truly move the hearts of the suffering and the poor.”

He continued, “Combining your father’s and mother’s names, Huh Nam-won and Jo Gye-su, means ‘permitting the power of the southern land and planting a laurel tree,’ signifying a person planted in this land to bring honor. A messenger must return quickly. Your parents were destined to bring you into this world and then depart immediately. From now on, you must diligently study Chinese classics at the “seodang” “traditional village school”. When you turn fourteen, you will have absorbed all the energy of Jirisan Mountain; then, you must go to Seoul to receive the energy of Samgaksan Mountain. In the future, you will study extensively and become a leader who brings peace to the world.”

From that day, I resolved to attend the “seodang”. I asked my adoptive father, who, despite being a farmer, had studied classical Chinese, to allow me to go, and he readily agreed. The “seodang” opened at 4 AM. I arrived on time and began studying with 40 other children. Our studies started with “Thousand-Character-Text” “Thousand Character Classic” and progressed through “Child-Ignorance-First-Learning”, “Hagyeopbi”, “Small-Learning”, “Analects of Confucius”, “Mencius”, “Big-Study”, “Middle-Use”, “Shih Ching”, “Shu Ching”, “I Ching”, “Spring-Autumn”, and “Yegi”. The method involved memorizing entire sections of previously studied material and reciting them before the teacher before moving on. All the other children, fearing the teacher’s rod, dropped out midway.

By the time I graduated from elementary school, I had studied over 30 volumes of Chinese classics, mastering Eastern thought and philosophy, including Confucianism, astronomy, geography, and human affairs.

I apprehend that when my mother visited my father in prison with me, a few months after my birth, he named me Huh kyung young and left a will-like message. He said, “To the east of Seoul is Tokyo, to the west is Xi’an “WestCapital, Quadrillion”, to the south is Nanjing “SouthCapital, Quadrillion”, and to the north is Beijing “北Capital, Quadrillion”. Our Seoul is the center of the world, commanding these four satellite capitals. Name him ‘Gung’ “Capital, Quadrillion, capital” and ‘Yeong’ “寧, peace”. When you grow up, become a person who makes Seoul the center of the world and brings peace to the people.”

Indeed, the only legacy my father left me was my name, which embodies my divine calling. This last wish, along with the monk’s prophecy when I was seven and the soil from my mother’s grave that I carried to Seoul, became the driving force that allowed me to learn and strive without despair, despite countless hardships. One day, as my father wished, I will become the supreme leader of the nation, guiding the country, bringing peace to the people, and ultimately fulfilling my mission to bring happiness to all people worldwide.

4. Extraordinary Abilities and Prophetic Insights

From an early age, I possessed extraordinary abilities. As an infant, my mother, suffering from postpartum illness, could not breastfeed me, so I was fed by neighbors. After their illnesses healed, these women eagerly competed to feed me. This continued throughout my life, manifesting as spiritual psychic abilities, not mere healing acts. Simply by looking at people, they heal themselves. This is fundamentally different from worldly healing.

This is evident from the fact that Dr. Hong, a renowned hospital director in Gangnam, after being cured by my gaze, arranged a contract for scientific research into my abilities and the establishment of an integrated medicine research institute. However, some individuals with specific spiritual circumstances may not experience the effects of my spiritual psychic abilities. In such cases, there is nothing I can do.

Most people are now aware that my IQ is 430. Dr. Jang Gok-jin, who served as a senior secretary in the presidential office during President Park chung hee’s era, left a testament to the quality of my IQ. I can demonstrate abilities beyond human comprehension in all human capacities, including learning, memory, insight, foresight, intellectual creativity, and drive. I can easily solve highly complex problems with sharp and broad insight, and with exceptional foresight, I can see events years, even decades, into the future.

For instance, over 30 years ago, I predicted that Korea would become the country with the lowest birthrate in the world, that its economy would lose vitality due to a declining working-age population and an aging society, and that national crises would emerge, such as the deepening gap between rich and poor, the collapse of the middle class, and a rapid increase in household debt. I even presented perfect solutions for these issues. This would be utterly impossible without sharp and broad insight, foresight that penetrates the future, problem-solving abilities to accurately analyze and synthesize issues, and creativity to devise appropriate countermeasures.

at the time, my proposed solutions might have seemed absurd to the general public. Back then, the birthrate was not so low, the economy was functioning reasonably well, and the middle class was robust. However, the current reality confirms my predictions, with the nation facing a catastrophic crisis. Politicians and intellectuals are only now beginning to realize the perfect solutions I presented.

I also have an innate sense for numbers. I can quickly discern and analyze how much tax revenue a country of Korea’s economic strength should generate and how much budget is sufficient for national operations. This allows me to easily identify if and where large budgets are leaking. How else could I courageously declare that “the nation does not lack money; it has too many thieves” without such abilities?

On December 19, 2012, before the 18th presidential election, when former President Park Geun-hye appeared on the news as a candidate, I appeared on Wikitree TV live broadcast and predicted that she would be elected with 50.51% support, but within four years, candlelight protests would erupt, leading to calls for constitutional amendment in the Blue House and National Assembly, and her impeachment and removal from the presidency. This prediction came true 100%.

Before Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee collapsed, I stated in a lecture, “Within a week, Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee will collapse, and the era of Lee Jae-yong will begin. Samsung’s current blue logo, which represents stability and responsibility, must be changed to a long red logo. If it is not changed, Samsung will face tremendous development with Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong.” Five days after that lecture, Chairman Lee Kun-hee indeed collapsed. Since then, with the logo color unchanged, Samsung has faced difficulties during Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s arrest and trials, which have lasted over five years. Some might dismiss the idea that a color change from blue to red could have such a significant impact, but colors, like names, hold astonishing secrets.

On September 24, 2015, I was interviewed by MBN regarding the US presidential election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. When the MBN reporter asked me who was better, I said, “If Trump becomes the US president, the American economy will be revitalized. However, if Hillary Clinton becomes president, she will cause global conflicts to feed the defense industry, and there is a possibility of war on the Korean Peninsula. Trump is not supported by weapons and defense companies; he is a self-made man. He has vitality, offers hope to the people, and even though he speaks boldly, he is a very intelligent person. He is an icon and hope for America.”

Later, I said, “I will create an American president who does not wage war during the Saturday lecture” which was a reference to Trump. It is well-known that Trump was subsequently elected US president, turning the world upside down. I favored Trump because I believed Hillary Clinton was influenced by the defense industry, whereas Donald Trump, a wealthy businessman, could finance his own campaign and was relatively free from the influence of arms dealers.

Over 30 years ago, I advocated for the abolition of inheritance tax to preserve our indigenous companies. In 2020, with the death of Chairman Lee Kun-hee, his heirs faced an inheritance tax of approximately 11 trillion won, which has become a significant burden on businesses. Indeed, there are many instances where our indigenous companies have been taken over by foreign capital due to inheritance tax. My foresight, or precognition, of such future events is a crucial ability for long-term national planning and preparing for impending problems.

My assertion that I can easily achieve Asian and global unification once I become the supreme leader is because I have a clear, comprehensive plan for what needs to be done worldwide, with detailed unification strategies and concrete solutions already devised. While it may seem exaggerated to ordinary people, all calculations derived from my intellect and insight are meticulously planned and highly realistic.

Besides these, I possess many other abilities that I have not disclosed here. The power of my name is one of them. For example, if you call my name, Huh kyung young, over milk, the milk does not spoil. Anyone can verify this through experimentation. It’s not just milk. A large cake at Alpha, gifted by one of my supporters before the party’s founding, has remained unspoiled for over two years after my name was invoked, with only slight changes in form due to moisture evaporation. This fact can be directly confirmed by visiting Alpha.

I am aware that these phenomena, which are difficult to apprehend logically, sometimes lead people to view me as strange. However, I believe that in due time, most people will naturally comprehend why these mysterious phenomena occur around me, and they will also apprehend the numerous things I have spoken about in my lectures, such as spiritual energy and various karmic illnesses.

5. The Korean People’s Global Mission

My various spiritual abilities, as a divine being, are not for my own emergence in the world. Instead, they are meant to reveal who I am, to establish the principle of “Benefit All Humanity” in the human world, and to fulfill the holy mandate for humanity to coexist and prosper.

The Korean people, who have received this divine calling, boast the world’s highest IQ. This is not merely my opinion but a scientifically researched finding. Universities in the UK and Finland surveyed the average IQ of citizens in 185 countries worldwide. The results showed Hong Kong at 107.5 “1st”, Korea at 106 “2nd”, and Japan and North Korea tied at 105 “3rd”. However, since Hong Kong is part of China, China’s overall average IQ is much lower than ours. This effectively makes the Korean people the most intelligent in the world. Even North Koreans, who live in much poorer conditions than us, are intellectually superior, like all Koreans. Japanese people are also intelligent, which is due to the mixed Korean blood. However, they cannot surpass Koreans residing on the Korean Peninsula. The richest “chaebol” in Japan, Chairman Son Jeong-eui “Masayoshi Son”, is of Korean descent. Ma Yun “Jack Ma” of Alibaba, once China’s richest man, received a $20 million investment from Chairman Son when he started his business, indicating that people of Korean descent also helped create China’s top “chaebol”.

I highlight the Korean people’s world-leading IQ for a specific reason: to assert that with such intelligence, our nation has the ample capacity to stand at the center of the global economy and emerge as a leading international power.

6. The Excellence of the Korean People

Indeed, our nation is exceptionally outstanding. The Korean alphabet, Hangeul, created by King Sejong, is globally recognized as the world’s finest writing system and is registered as a UNESCO World Documentary Heritage. Its creation principles, modeled after the principles of heaven and applying the concepts of heaven, earth, and humanity, are astonishingly scientific. Its practicality is also superb. There is no language that can express everything so accurately and correctly, and it is very easy to learn. It is also the fastest script to type on a computer keyboard, 60 times faster than Chinese characters and twice as fast as English, making it optimal for the IT era.

UNESCO annually awards the King Sejong Literacy Prize to those who have contributed to literacy worldwide. The inclusion of King Sejong’s name in the award signifies global recognition that Hangeul, created by King Sejong, is the easiest script to learn and best suited for eradicating illiteracy.

The excellence of our nation can also be found in our “ondol” “underfloor heating” culture. “Ondol” is Korea’s unique heating system, used since the Iron Age. It involves creating passages for fire beneath the floor and laying large, flat stones on top. When a fire is lit in the “agungi” “Furnace”, the heat flows through these passages, warming the stone slabs, which then retain heat for a long time, providing heating. The part made of stone slabs is called “gudeul”, and each slab is a “gudeuljang”. The passages for the fire are called “gol” or “bang-gol”, and names of kingdoms like “The Kingdom of High Fortress” and Goryeo originated from this “gol”. “Ondol” is far more efficient and hygienic than European fireplaces, and it was a unique heating technology of our people, superior to any other heating system of its time.

Today, our nation has achieved the “Miracle on the Han River” from the ashes of the Korean War, boasting one of the world’s top 10 economies. We are leading the global IT revolution and pioneering the world as an IT powerhouse. The Korean people are not only brilliant but also a nation that can unleash tremendous potential when guided by an upright and supreme leader. A prime example is how Korea, a country with no significant resources, achieved remarkable development and laid the foundation for an economic powerhouse after meeting the exceptional leader, President Park chung hee, from the devastation of the Korean War.

However, our nation is currently facing a situation where, despite overcoming traditional and absolute poverty, the deepening rich-poor divide due to the failures of capitalism and corrupt politicians has led to relative and structural poverty, with the middle class collapsing and the lives of ordinary people deteriorating daily. Our nation is once again at a point where it needs a great leader.

The Korean people are not just intellectually superior; they are also a highly civilized nation that has striven to benefit all humanity and uphold human morality. Ancient national scriptures like “Cheondo-gyeong”, “Samil Singo”, and “Chamjeon Gyeong” contain teachings from heaven aimed at enlightening the human world. Their content suggests why Korea earned the nickname “Eastern Country of Courtesy” early on. Furthermore, the founding philosophy of Gojoseon, “Benefit All Humanity” is an astonishingly high-level founding philosophy that no other nation or country in the world has ever presented. The renowned British historian Arnold Toynbee could not hide his amazement at Korea’s “Benefit All Humanity” philosophy, stating that it should become the core ideology to lead the future world. Constantin Gheorghiu, a Romanian writer who won the Nobel Prize for his work “The 25th Hour” was so captivated by Korea’s “Benefit All Humanity” philosophy that he planted mugunghwa “Rose of Sharon” in his garden and thought of Korea, demonstrating his profound love for the country.

Filial piety, loyalty, trustworthiness, courtesy, integrity, and shame are our eight great national virtues. Our people have striven to be filial to parents, harmonious with siblings, loyal to the nation, and faithful in human relationships. We also valued humility and etiquette, firmly resisted injustice, and felt shame when we made mistakes. Even Confucius wished to live in Korea, the “Eastern Country of Courtesy” indicating our nation’s reverence for etiquette. Despite numerous foreign invasions, we were a peace-loving nation that never invaded other countries first. Yet, when the nation faced a crisis, we were a righteous people who would rise up, sacrificing our lives like blades of grass. Thus, our nation is a highly civilized and vibrant people who have upheld these virtues and instilled them in succeeding generations, continuously inheriting the beautiful spirit and essence of the Korean people.

7. Korea’s Unique Geopolitical Position

Korea’s geopolitical location is also unique. Powerful nations surround us: Japan and the United States to the east, China to the west, and Russia to the north. Being sandwiched between these great powers, Korea is often viewed as being in a disadvantageous position, like a shrimp whose back is broken in a whale fight. there is some truth to this perspective. There is a risk of becoming a battlefield or a bargaining chip for great powers. Korea’s colonization by Japan was partly due to political and military dealings among great powers, and its division was also a result of their interests.

The Korean War is referred to as the “Korean War” in the international community. Although it was a tragic fratricidal war initiated by North Korea’s invasion of the South, everyone knows it was not merely a conflict between North and South Korea. Behind North Korea’s involvement was Stalin of the Soviet Union. When the war broke out, then-US President Syngman Rhee requested swift American intervention and strong support. The US, fearing the communist takeover of the Korean Peninsula, quickly called for a UN Security Council meeting, which resolved to form a UN force composed of 16 member nations. As this UN force arrived in Korea, the Korean War took on a complex international character.

The Korean Peninsula remains highly vulnerable to becoming a battlefield. Especially amidst the US-China hegemonic struggle, there is a constant risk of war, and our political stance between the two nations is often difficult. However, I do not view the Korean Peninsula’s geographical location as solely disadvantageous. On the contrary, I believe it is in a very favorable position if we skillfully utilize the “Fisherman’s advantage” in six ways.

These six scenarios of the “Fisherman’s advantage” are:

• Between China and Russia.
• Between China and Japan.
• Between Russia and Japan.
• Between the United States and China.
• Between the United States and Russia.
• Between the United States and Japan.

The famous “Fisherman’s advantage” proverb describes a situation where a heron tries to eat a clam, but the clam clamps onto the heron’s beak, preventing it from eating or even pulling its beak out. At this moment, a fisherman appears and catches both the clam and the heron. Similarly, if Korea skillfully leverages the conflicts between these great powers, it can gain significant benefits. However, this requires a wise leader. If a wise and strong leader emerges, one who is diplomatically capable and can effectively guide the nation, Korea can control and lead these great powers. If not, and if we show indecisiveness like Emperor Gojong during the late Joseon Dynasty, failing to properly assess the political situation and making ill-considered moves, it could provoke attacks from opposing nations and plunge the country into crisis. Korea is thus situated in a peculiar position that demands an exceptional leader.

8. The Korean Peninsula: The Nucleus of the World

The Korean Peninsula is unique not only in its geopolitical location but also in its traditional East-West geographical aspects. If you spread out a world map with Korea at its center, Japan and the United States are to the left, like a dragon’s position, and the American continent is to the east. China, Europe, and Africa are to the right, like a tiger’s position, embracing Korea like wings. Below the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, Taiwan, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and the Australian continent are arranged in sequence, forming an “inner mountain” that protects the peninsula.

Indeed, Japan blocks the southwest winds from the Pacific, and the islands and countries forming the “inner mountain” successively intercept typhoons originating near the equator and moving northward, weakening their force and protecting the Korean Peninsula. In essence, the Korean Peninsula is positioned in a perfect geomantic location, like the womb of the Earth, protected by its surroundings, a supreme auspicious site. The womb is a place where new life is conceived, nurtured, and prepared before being sent into the world.

The Korean Peninsula is also the nucleus of the Earth, where the Earth’s energy is most powerfully concentrated. The superior medicinal efficacy of Korean ginseng is precisely due to the energy of this land. Foreigners also acknowledge the strong vitality of Korea’s indigenous plants. The Korean people, born on the Korean Peninsula, are no different. Koreans thrive wherever they go in the world, thanks to their strong vitality, resilience, and diligence. Overseas, they never fail.

China, for a long time, was steeped in the Sinocentric ideology, considering itself the center of the world and surrounding peoples as barbarians. However, in reality, a large country cannot be the nucleus. There is a reason why the Korean Peninsula is situated in such a peculiar geopolitical and geomantic location. It is due to the mission the Korean people are destined to undertake in world history, and it is the place where the leader who will guide this nation will appear.

Korea is not only geomantically located in the position of a woman’s womb but also, according to the directions of the “I Ching”, it is in the “Gam-bang” “艮Square?. “Gam-bang” signifies the northeast, a direction where the beginning and end intertwine. When humanity concludes its long history of struggle, characterized by the law of the jungle, and moves towards an era of coexistence and co-prosperity, the creative law of humanity, that new era will begin on the Korean Peninsula, the womb of the Earth and the “Gam-bang”.

Just as a tiger that swallows a hedgehog must eventually spit it out, despite enduring countless invasions and foreign domination throughout its long history, Korea ultimately preserved and reclaimed its land due to the divine calling bestowed upon this land and the Korean people. Our ancestors embedded the mission of the Korean people in the names of the mountains at the northern and southern ends of the Korean Peninsula. Baekdusan Mountain in the north means “the mountain where the white-clad people become leaders.” Hallasan Mountain in the south means “the mountain that embraces heaven once.” “Han” “한” refers to great nations and powerful peoples, so Hallasan means “the mountain that embraces and leads the great.” In other words, Baekdusan and Hallasan are prophecies and names embodying the Korean people’s mission: that the white-clad Korean people will become the leaders of the world, guiding great nations. Eastern philosophies like numerology, geomancy, and onomancy contain the ideas of heaven, earth, and humanity, and cosmic principles.

9. Prophecies of Korea as a Global Leader

Many people predict or believe that in the 21st century, the Korean people and Korea will become a leading nation guiding the world. Arnold Toynbee, the British historian who wrote the voluminous “A Study of History” stated in a January 1, 1973, interview with the Dong-A Ilbo, “If the day comes in the 21st century when the world unites, its center will be Northeast Asia, and its core ideology must be Korea’s ‘Benefit All Humanity’ philosophy.”

The “Gyukam’s legacy records”, left by Gyeogam Nam Sa-Go, a scholar of the mid-Joseon Dynasty skilled in geomancy and deeply knowledgeable in numerology and astronomy, states, “From a place that seems like an island but is not, a divine being, who seems human but is not, will appear and build a paradise on Earth. It is lamentable that people of the world see this sacred ruler but do not recognize him.” The place that seems like an island but is not refers to the Korean Peninsula, which appears separated from the continent by the Amnokgang and Duman Rivers, making it seem like an island yet not an island.

When Rabindranath Tagore, the Indian poet laureate, visited Japan, he was asked by a Dong-A Ilbo reporter to visit Korea but could not. In apology, he wrote the poem “The Lamp of the East” singing, “Korea, the lamp-bearing nation that shone in Asia’s golden age, when that lamp burns again, you will be the bright light of the East” predicting that Korea would become the bright light of the East.

Rudolf Steiner, a German philosopher, master of theosophy, and founder of anthroposophy, told his disciples that during a major turning point in human civilization, a “Holy Grail” nation, presenting a new way of life, is bound to appear. This nation is spiritually endowed, both individually and collectively, and has dreams and ideals for life and the world despite foreign invasions and internal oppression. After the transition from the Mediterranean civilization era dominated by Rome, that “Holy Grail” was found in the Jewish people. However, in the current era, which will be a far more fundamental transition, that nation is in East Asia. He told his disciples, “Find that nation.” One of his Japanese disciples, after studying the histories of Japan and Korea, concluded that the nation was the Korean people.

In addition to these, there are many prophecies that the Korean people and Korea will lead the world, and some people see this through physiognomy. It is said that they make these prophecies or observations without knowing much about Korea.

Our nation possesses outstanding intellect and a unique spiritual world based on “Benefit All Humanity.” We have the ability and qualifications to lead the world, and Korea is prepared as the nucleus to change the world, with special geopolitical and geomantic conditions. These matters are orchestrated by the unseen world, and the fact that famous scholars and prophets worldwide predict Korea will become the central nation leading the future is all due to the workings of the unseen world.

I have long known the divine calling of our nation. The time to fulfill this calling is now because this era is one where ethics and morality have fallen, and the law of the jungle, the survival rule of animals, dominates the human world. If left unchecked, it could lead to utter chaos, and human selfishness is on the verge of irreversibly destroying the global environment. The development of the internet, allowing words, texts, and videos to be instantly transmitted worldwide, provides the technological conditions to easily convey what needs to be conveyed to the entire world, further indicating that this is the opportune time to fulfill the mission.

10. The Dream of a Unified World and My Father’s Legacy

We are confident that our nation will soon awaken from its long slumber and realize its divine calling: to spread the “Benefit All Humanity” philosophy, first articulated by Dangun, throughout the world, and to open a unified world of harmony without uniformity, where individuals, though diverse in their uniqueness, form a beautiful whole within a healthy global environment.

My father, I cannot even remember his face, as he passed away less than six months after I was born. When my father died, Korea had only recently been liberated from World War II. In an era when fields were crucial assets and means of production, my father was a wealthy landowner in his hometown. He leased his fields to tenant farmers. At that time, tenant farmers, despite their hard work, had to give half of their harvest to the landlord, and their lives were so difficult that they worried about their next meal around the barley sprout season.

My father, feeling pity for these tenant farmers, reportedly distributed his land to them. Based on the circumstances, this is likely how events unfolded: News of my father giving away land to tenant farmers spread rapidly to neighboring villages. Landlords who heard the rumors rushed to stop him, but my father did not listen and continued with his plan. This caused other tenant farmers to become agitated, and they began demanding land from their landlords. In a panic, the landlords accused my father of being a communist, implying he was corrupting society and a healthy social environment. Consequently, my father was arrested, sentenced to death by the appellate court and the Supreme Court, and imprisoned in Seoul.

Even while imprisoned, my father seemed to dream of societal change. He left his unfulfilled dream to me through my name, Huh kyung young. I believe my father was a benevolent and righteous man. He could have lived comfortably and prosperously, but he considered the plight of the poor and suffering, striving to create conditions where they could live with dignity. He embodied the practice of “self-benefit and altruism” sharing his advantages for the benefit of others. However, my father’s good intentions and actions tragically ended in his death amidst the ideological conflicts and chaos of the left and right at the time. If society had tolerated my father’s ideas and actions, he might have been revered as a respected figure in his hometown, with a monument erected in his honor by the villagers.

11. Beyond Ideology: A New Political Philosophy

I am now following in my father’s footsteps, dedicating myself to societal change. However, unlike my father, I embarked on this path to fulfill a born mission, and my methods are entirely different. I aim to completely transform the way humans live and how the world operates, with a greater purpose and goal.

I dislike ideologies and doctrines. Sometimes, I jokingly introduce myself as “Huh-pa” “허파, meaning “lung” a play on “left-wing” and “right-wing””, but this embodies my political philosophy of transcending ideologies to embrace and benefit everyone. The ideologies or beliefs people cherish, no matter how grand they seem, are rarely perfect due to inherent human imperfection. Therefore, it is undesirable to judge one’s own beliefs as absolutely correct and others’ ideas as wrong. The ideological conflict between the left and right that plunged Korea into chaos immediately after liberation led to the establishment of entirely different political and economic systems in North and South Korea, ultimately culminating in the tragic fratricidal Korean War, solidifying national division.

Whatever we believe and practice must bring benefit to the world, not hatred, conflict, division, or even bloodshed. I wish people would look at each other with more love and show more tolerance. If my thoughts and beliefs are precious to me, I hope we can live acknowledging that others’ thoughts and beliefs are equally precious to them. This applies not only to political beliefs but also to religious ones. I hope we adopt an attitude of respecting and acknowledging the different religions people hold. If everyone adopts such an attitude, society will become more generous, peaceful, and warm.

12. Constitutional Establishment for a Middle-Class Society

It is a time when “constitutional establishment” not just “constitutional amendment” is needed. Our current constitution begins with two articles: Article 1, Paragraph 1 states, “The Republic of Korea is a democratic republic” and Paragraph 2 states, “The sovereignty of the Republic of Korea resides in the people, and all state authority emanates from the people.” However, this is not an era where ideology is paramount. What matters is not the ideology a country espouses, but rather the actual quality of life of its citizens and their happiness index.

There are hardly any countries on Earth that do not claim to be democratic. Yet, it is easy to find countries that, by any objective measure, are far from democratic. This indicates that ideology is often merely a formal declaration, detached from the lives of the people.

I propose that Article 1 of our constitution, which declares an ideology, “The Republic of Korea is a democratic republic” be replaced with “The Republic of Korea is a middle-class-centric nation where all citizens are guaranteed a life above the middle class.” This is because in a country with an economic level capable of ensuring a life above the middle class, the people, as the owners of the nation, should naturally be able to enjoy such a standard of living. Here, a “middle-class-centric nation” refers to a country where all citizens are institutionally guaranteed a life above the middle class, a concept I have defined.

Excluding ideological content that is merely a declaration, expressing the will to enhance and guarantee the quality of life for the people is truly an affirmation of a nation that values its people most and exists for its people. Furthermore, as a fundamental condition for becoming a middle-class-centric nation, I wish for the constitution to include provisions stating that “the Republic of Korea is a stock company that pays dividends to its shareholders, the people, and guarantees their basic needs.” This is based on my belief that the nation is a collective formed by individual contracts. I believe it can be defined as a stock company. In this framework, the citizens, as constituents, can be seen as the actual owners, the shareholders of the nation. The President, as the supreme leader, becomes the CEO of the company, and public officials are its employees.

The nation’s total assets have been built and accumulated over thousands of years by our ancestors and by us today. Defining the Republic of Korea as a stock company is not merely a matter of changing legal provisions. The moment the Republic of Korea is defined as a stock company, the role of the state changes, and the people’s right to pursue happiness becomes a powerful, substantive right. When a company makes a profit, shareholders are naturally entitled to dividends. This is the fundamental principle of a stock company. If the nation is defined as a stock company and the people as shareholders, the nation must naturally pay dividends to its people.

Currently, the total assets of the Republic of Korea amount to approximately 70,000 trillion won. With about 50 million shareholders, dividing the total assets by 50 million yields approximately 1.4 billion won in asset equity per person. This equity is allocated at birth and cannot be bought, sold, transferred, inherited, or seized. It is extinguished upon death. Citizens can receive dividends on this equity once they reach a certain age.

What good is it to declare “democratic republic” in the constitution if the people are not treated as true owners in reality? In fact, until now, even as the national economy grew and tax revenues increased, except in cases of disaster like COVID-19, no portion of tax revenue was ever naturally distributed to all citizens as a rightful payment. When the nation is defined as a stock company and the people as shareholders, receiving dividends, the people truly become the owners in name and in fact.

If the nation is defined as a stock company that guarantees its people a life above the middle class, other constitutional provisions must also change. Ultimately, a constitutional amendment will not suffice; a complete constitutional establishment will be necessary. The content of this new constitution should include the establishment of a stock company that pays dividends to the nation and its people, and provisions that enable the national treasury to perform its role as a stock company without hindrance. Furthermore, legal revisions must be swiftly made in accordance with the new constitution. In particular, to enable continuous and gradual dividend payments, economic wealth must increase, so measures that allow individuals and businesses to cooperate and significantly develop the national economy should be codified. When the constitution is established with a new paradigm of realizing middle-class-centricism, the status of the people will be truly established as the owners of the nation. This constitution will become the foundation for opening a just, beneficial, and inclusive world.

13. The Foundation of Love for the People

My mother, I was born in Myeonmok-dong, Jungnang-gu, Seoul. My mother endured labor alone there and gave birth to me. It was January 1, 1950, by the solar calendar. Due to personal circumstances, my official birthdate is recorded as July 13, 1947, but my actual birthdate is January 1, 1950. It was the dead of winter, with biting winds. A few layers of cotton clothing would have been insufficient to ward off the severe cold. A mother who collapsed after giving birth in the freezing cold, and a newborn covered in blood. Without someone’s care, neither the mother nor the infant would have survived.

My mother’s plight in the cotton clothes was due to my father. My mother, from a wealthy Jo family in a village near my father’s hometown, had married into a prosperous home and lacked nothing. She studied classical Chinese and had beautiful handwriting, often writing official documents for others. Such a mother became destitute overnight because of my father. To support her husband, she traveled a thousand “li” to Seoul, taking refuge in a straw hut. My mother carefully saved the money and jewelry she had hastily brought, intending to use them for my father’s indefinite support. She earned her meals by working for nearby farmers and nursed my father.

My father’s actions had altered her dreams, yet my mother did not resent him; she silently accepted her harsh fate. She worried about her husband spending winter in a cold prison and lit a candle every night to pray. The farmer who employed her suggested she pray there, but she insisted on returning to the straw hut to pray for her husband. My father was already a convicted prisoner with a Supreme Court ruling, in the worst possible situation where legally nothing could be done except a special pardon. My mother could only anxiously pray, hoping for a miracle.

My mother helped with farm work during the day and prayed in the hut at night, visiting my father whenever possible. After having a mysterious dream, life grew within her, and her belly swelled. In the early morning of the 13th day of the winter month, in the dead of winter, labor pains began. The contractions became shorter and her breathing grew rapid. The cold air seeping through the gaps in the straw hut felt like it was cutting into her flesh. Gasping for breath and pushing, my mother eventually fainted.

Before dawn, as people began to move along the railway, a loud cry of a baby was heard from somewhere. A person who had just stepped onto the railway stopped and listened to the baby’s cry. Descending under the railway bridge, the sound came from a straw hut. Pushing aside the straw mat, he saw a woman lying flat on her back, with a baby crying on her stomach. Inside the hut, there was warmth, and the mother and baby were covered by a white blanket of their breath. My mother opened her eyes to the cold wind and the presence of a stranger. The baby’s umbilical cord, crying on her stomach, was cut, and the baby was clean. My mother saw the stranger who had opened the straw door, but with his help, she leaned back and was moved to the village with her baby. That is how my mother, through her body, brought me into the world.

After recovering somewhat with the stranger’s help, my mother returned to the straw hut under the railway bridge with me, her newborn. And she began praying for my father again. One day, my mother visited my father in prison, carrying me. I do not know how my father reacted when he first saw me. All I heard was that he named me Huh kyung young, explained its meaning, and had great expectations for me.

When my father died in prison, my mother searched everywhere for his body but could not find it. As the Korean War broke out and Seoul fell into chaos, my mother fled with me, a young child. Upon returning to her hometown, my mother suffered severely from postpartum illness. This was because she had given birth in the dead of winter, with the cold seeping into her bones, and had not received proper postpartum care.

The villagers, fearing her illness might be contagious, separated me from my mother, placing me in an adjacent room and preventing me from going to her. Then, the neighborhood women took turns breastfeeding me. In the mornings, when they went to work in the fields, they tied me to a pillar with a long silk cord to prevent me from going to my mother. In such circumstances, how could my mother not shed tears? The villagers long remembered what my mother occasionally said: “To tie my young child to a pillar.. I wish I would die soon so my child could run and play freely.”My mother grieved more over my inability to play freely than over her own illness.

When I was about four years old, my mother deliberately stopped eating and quietly passed away. I, who cannot ignore the suffering of others, could only watch my young child from afar with a heavy heart. Reflecting on my mother’s feelings, I am always filled with mixed feelings of regret and gratitude. And just as my mother felt for her child, when I see people in distress, I feel a deep compassion and cannot help but assist them.

During my time attending night middle and high school, I was often expelled from class for not paying tuition. To earn money, I sold pens or even sold my blood. One day, I was on my way to school with the tuition money I had barely managed to gather. Passing by a cathedral, I saw a barefoot, foul-smelling child eating something from a trash can, then vomiting. Yet, no one passing by, not even those coming out of the cathedral, looked at the child. I stopped and approached the child. His body was emaciated from prolonged hunger, and his feet reeked. With difficulty, I carried him to a nearby hospital. The tuition money I had barely saved was, of course, entirely spent on hospital fees.

I still cannot forget the immense hardships the neighborhood women endured during my childhood. From fetching water from the communal well at dawn, to cooking three meals a day for over ten family members, doing laundry, and farm work, they had no time to rest. Furthermore, they were immersed in weaving clothes late into the night. Thinking of them pounding grain with a crying child on their back, washing clothes in cold water with numb hands, cooking meals in large cauldrons, and somehow making ends meet, still fills my heart with sorrow.

At that time, I vowed, “I will definitely create a world where these women do not have to suffer so much.” I believe that this compassion for people in difficulty is the fundamental mindset a leader must possess. Without this foundation, I believe no political activity or policy has meaning. If this compassion is absent, then despite any justification, their actions are merely manifestations of their own greed and desire for fame.

I believe that politics, based on leaders’ love for their people, should aim to manage the nation’s affairs well so that the people do not suffer and can live happy lives. Promoting national economic development should also ultimately aim to enrich the lives of the people. If the national economy has developed, but wealth distribution policies are flawed, and some citizens do not receive benefits and still live in hardship, then there is a problem with politics. Those who engage in politics have the responsibility to ensure that all citizens live well and equitably together.

Government functions such as food, housing, and public safety are ultimately intended to guarantee the lives and safety of the people. The very reason for the government’s existence is to ensure the safety and happy lives of its citizens. Therefore, those who engage in politics should make it their highest goal to guarantee the safety of the people, stabilize and comfort their lives, and create conditions for them to improve their standard of living. This should be the purpose of politics. If the motivation for politics is to seize power for personal gain or to achieve fame, then it is a misguided purpose and motivation.

It is the duty of those in politics to establish laws and policies to prevent people from falling into hardship and to implement policies that protect citizens in distress. Therefore, there is a need for the comprehension that a politician is a servant of the people, and the first quality they must possess is a spirit of profound love for the people. The reason why emperors like Yao and Shun, and King Sejong, are revered in history is that they made the peaceful and stable lives of their people their greatest goal in governance.

14. A Leader’s Unwavering Mission

I have long pursued the path of a supreme national leader, but not out of a desire for power or personal ambition. I am not someone who seeks power for personal advancement or fame by gaining popularity. Frankly, I could simply live a comfortable and happy life at Alpha, helping those who need me. However, I cannot abandon the divine calling placed on my shoulders since birth, and given my compassionate and empathetic nature, I cannot choose the easy path.

I clearly foresee the future of our nation heading towards ruin, and I cannot ignore the sight of people burdened with insurmountable difficulties, ending their own lives in unbearable pain. I cannot pretend not to see the children in African villages, without even proper water, starving with distended bellies, and simply wish for my own comfort. The feeling of a mother looking at her impoverished child—this is how I view people. I have no desire for power whatsoever. However, to realize my goals, the position of a leader is necessary, which is why I strive to become the supreme leader of the nation and, indeed, a world leader.

If the leaders of Korea and the world had ensured that all citizens could live well, that no one suffered from basic living problems, that no one starved, that world peace was established, and that environmental protection was actively pursued to solve such problems, then there would have been no need for me to step forward.

15. Qualitative Change in Life Through Economic Support

To enable all citizens to live above the middle class, I believe it is best to establish a system that promotes economic development and, under its support, provides a fixed amount of money to citizens monthly. However, the ultimate goal of this support is not just to stabilize people’s lives but to bring about a qualitative change in their lives. The important thing about change is that it must be a qualitative change, not just any change.

Consider this example: Suppose each person receives 500,000 won or 1,000,000 won per household. 1,000,000 won is far from enough for a two-person household’s living expenses, so they would still have to find other work. This would still be labor for wages. Therefore, that amount is insufficient to bring about a qualitative change in life. The father would still have no time to see his children’s faces, and he and his wife would never be able to travel freely.

An amount of about 1,500,000 won per person, or 3,000,000 won for a couple, would be necessary to ensure that even if one becomes completely unemployed, they would not fear for their future, and even if they fall ill and cannot work, they would not tremble with anxiety. Such an amount would guarantee a livelihood in any situation and help individuals withstand potential risks. Only with such an amount can Huh kyung young realize a society where people do not feel their hearts sink if they lose their jobs, where they do not worry about money if their parents are sick, and where they can say to their children, ” live doing what you want” with ease, even if they cannot buy a house. When such a society is realized, people will experience a qualitative change in life, different from the past.

I hope that all politicians, focusing on the people, will create laws and establish policies based on a warm heart that seeks to bring about a qualitative change in the lives of the people.

16. Addressing Concerns: Work Ethic and Inflation

Some people question my proposal for fixed financial support, asking, “If people receive enough money to live without working, who will work? How will factories operate and the economy function?” This seems like a valid point at first glance. However, I would ask them: “Are there more people in Korea who want to work, or more people who need such support?” The latter is undoubtedly far greater.

Some might also say that people already receive welfare benefits through the National Basic Livelihood Security Act. However, countless people struggle who do not qualify for such benefits. On a slightly different note, selective welfare systems like the National Basic Livelihood Security Act can lead to reverse discrimination for those on the borderline who do not qualify as recipients. Many of Korea’s welfare systems and policies, though implemented with good intentions to eliminate discrimination against the vulnerable, can actually create issues of fairness.

A system like the National Dividend System avoids these fairness issues because no one is excluded from its benefits. if such a plan is implemented, there might occasionally be some who do not work and are lazy. However, such individuals exist regardless of whether such payments are made, and their numbers would likely not increase dramatically. Even now, wealthy people rarely stop working just because they are rich. Humans are inherently beings who feel anxious if they are not doing something. Therefore, they have a tendency to seek out work.

when people first receive such support, some might want to rest, escaping the hardships they have endured. They might want to sleep as much as they want, travel to places they wished to visit, and enjoy a relaxed time, free from work. However, after two or three months, people naturally feel the urge to do something. This is because humans have a desire and will to improve themselves. They might want to move to a bigger house, buy a nice car, open and operate a wonderful cafe, or create a care facility to look after the elderly. These desires will stir within them, leading them to work in their own way. However, they will no longer be forced to do jobs that do not suit their aptitude just to make a living. I believe more people will do what they want, work that matches their talents and aptitudes. This will undoubtedly make it easier for many people to pursue dreams they once had but could not. For example, a talented artist who had to give up their dream due to immediate livelihood concerns could pursue it again.

Some people worry that if the government provides fixed payments to citizens, prices will rise. However, there is no need to worry. This plan involves saving about 70% of existing national budget expenditures, so the money that would have been circulated elsewhere is simply being circulated through the people. There will be no significant difference in the amount of money in the market. Also, people rarely spend money immediately upon receiving it. While some will consume, a significant portion will likely be saved. If the government were to spend its entire existing budget and then additionally provide support to citizens, prices might rise. However, if national operating expenses are saved and that money goes into the pockets of the people, there is no reason for prices to rise.

17. The Journey to Seoul and the Death of a Cow

When I was 15, I decided to move to Seoul. I had not forgotten the monk’s words from when I was seven, that I must go to Seoul. Furthermore, when I was 13, in the sixth grade of elementary school, the “seodang” teacher who had taught me classical Chinese and Confucianism passed away. Since my studies were interrupted after elementary school, the thought of continuing my education in Seoul never left me.

One day, my elementary school classmates, who were attending middle school, came to find me as I was cutting grass in the rice paddies. They had seen me, who had been first in class for six years, still wearing worn-out clothes, eating meager meals, and cutting grass in the fields and rice paddies from early morning, and felt sorry for me. They urged me to go to Seoul to study, took the sickle from my hand and the “jige” “A-frame carrier” from my back, and handed me money wrapped in newspaper, saying they had all collected it. I was so grateful and embarrassed that tears welled up in my eyes.

Despite this, I could not easily leave due to my adoptive father, who was somewhat lacking. However, I finally decided to leave because of the death of a cow I had raised since childhood. One day, my adoptive father bought a scrawny calf. It wouldn’t eat the cattle feed and couldn’t even stand up. Secretly from my adoptive parents, I mixed half of my barley rice into the cattle feed and gave it to the calf. The calf began to eat the mixed feed with relish. After that, every time I ate, I would share my rice with the calf. Eventually, I even moved my sleeping place to the cowshed where the calf was, sleeping with my arms around its neck. It was much warmer and more comfortable to sleep in the cowshed, with thick straw laid out, holding the calf’s neck, than in my own room. Thus, the calf and I became like friends, comprehension each other and relying on each other.

The calf grew into an adult cow and plowed the fields during farming season. When my adoptive father hit the cow’s rump with a rope to make it go faster, the cow would glance at me as if asking for help. In my young heart, I felt pain, but there was nothing I could do. After the farming season, I would take the cow to the mountains and fields to graze. My friends also brought their cows. I would let the cow graze in the field and then gather firewood. As dusk approached, I would call my cow. It would come running immediately. My friends also called their cows, but their cows would pretend not to hear and not come. I would lead my cow, carrying a load of firewood, and leisurely return home.

The problem was that our cow gave birth to a calf. That day, I was again gathering firewood, having let the cow graze in the field. Suddenly, something dropped from the cow’s rump. I panicked, thinking the cow was dying. It turned out to be a calf. The cow had given birth to a calf, having become pregnant at some unknown time. Soon after, my adoptive father decided to sell the mother cow, keeping only the calf. As he tried to lead the cow out the gate, the cow stomped its feet and refused to go. It stood firm, looking at its calf and mooing. It knew it was being sold, leaving its offspring behind. My adoptive mother brought a poker, saying that the more it resisted, the higher the price, and mercilessly hit the cow’s rump. I secretly followed my adoptive father, who was leading the cow away.

The cow was led to a slaughterhouse. Two men came out, took the rope, and tightly tied the cow to an iron pillar. I watched from behind the building, holding my breath, hoping to free the cow. But the two men did not leave; they brought an axe. One man held the cow, and the other struck the middle of our cow’s head with the axe. The cow bled, slumped to the ground, and then collapsed. Shocked, I started running wildly.

After returning home, I decided to leave. I had been postponing my departure, unable to leave my somewhat lacking adoptive father, but now I had no regrets. On the evening of the last day, the 15th, when I had first decided to leave, I went to the cowshed. I hugged the calf, the cow’s offspring, and cried silently. I resented the cow, which had plowed the fields for its owner until its death, even giving birth to a calf, only to be sold to the slaughterhouse without being able to live with its offspring. Parting forever with the calf, which looked at me blankly, unaware of our separation, I felt the callousness of humans for the first time.

While gathering firewood, I remembered the teachings of the Buddha. Seeing those who sacrificed animals with blood to the gods, the Buddha said, “It is not right to make other beings unhappy for your own happiness. All beings wish to live, just as you do. Harming others for oneself is selfishness. Such a person will receive unhappy consequences throughout their life. A god who demands blood is not a good god. If you treat all things with love and kindness, God will naturally help you.”

18. Departure for Seoul and the Spirit of Universal Love

I left home. It was around 8 PM, with deep darkness having fallen. My mother’s grave was on a hill overlooking the endlessly winding Jinju Namgang River. I placed my bundle, which contained all my classical Chinese books, middle school textbooks I had bought for self-study, and my diary, next to my mother’s grave. I knelt and bowed, gazing at her tomb. Tears began to flow without my knowing. Since I was seven, I had visited this place every day without fail to pay my respects, as it was close to the village and on a three-way path I always passed when going to and from the mountains to gather firewood. I could not bring myself to leave this humble grave and depart for distant Seoul.

My friends sometimes mocked me for making them wait while I bowed at my mother’s grave when we went to and from gathering firewood, but for me, it was both joyful and sorrowful, as if I were seeing my living mother. Although the mound of her grave had sunken considerably, I planted azaleas, rhododendrons, and all sorts of flowers around it, and occasionally pulled out weeds. I even built a fence of thorny bushes around her grave, fearing she might be cold.

Whenever I sat briefly before her grave after gathering firewood, gazing at Jirisan Mountain dyed by the distant sunset, the winding Jinju Namgang River, the endless white sandbanks, the blue bamboo forest, and the evening smoke rising from the village, it felt as if my mother would emerge from her thorn-encircled grave, calling my name and bringing out the dinner table. Each time, I wished this place were my home where my mother was alive, and I was reluctant to go down to the village.

I sat before my mother’s grave all night. As dawn broke, I buried all the certificates of excellence I had received for six years in front of her grave. I dug up a small amount of soil from her tomb and wrapped it in my bundle. This was so I could remember my mother, no matter what I did in Seoul.

There was a train station in Banseong, 22 “li” away. I walked towards Banseong, having skipped dinner the previous night and breakfast that morning. As I walked, I repeatedly looked back at the familiar mountains and rivers of my hometown and my mother’s grave. My vision was blurred, whether from swollen eyes or tears.

The spirit of universal love is needed. Some people might wonder why I would want to unify the world. However, I wish people would have more compassion, a broader spirit of love, a spirit of universal love. If people’s hearts were warmer, I might not have witnessed the horrific slaughter of the cow I had relied on and cherished like a friend in my childhood.

In truth, there is no separate “you” and “I”; we live within a single fence, influencing each other. Therefore, we must cherish each other, help each other, and show compassion to the poor, the struggling, and the weak. Such acts of altruistic love ultimately return as blessings to oneself.

Shakyamuni Buddha said, “In heaven and on earth, I alone am honored.” This means that in the universe, there is only “I” and that “I” is noble. In other words, there is nothing in the universe that is not “I” so all beings must be cherished. Sometimes, people misinterpret this to mean that only the Buddha is honored in the entire universe, but that is incorrect. How could a sage like Shakyamuni utter such arrogant words?

As stated in our ancient scripture, “Chunbu kyung”, all things in the universe originated from one, and that one, through repeated divisions, unfolded into all things, forming a vast, single universe. All beings within this single universe are equally noble. Just as eyes, nose, ears, arms, and legs are connected to form one body, and that body is precious, so too are the eyes, nose, ears, arms, and legs that constitute that body all precious. “Treat others as yourself and with compassion” “look and act with altruism”—this is the teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha’s “In heaven and on earth, I alone am honored.” Jesus’s saying, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” has a similar meaning.

Instead of wishing for your own child’s success or praying only for yourself, it is better to serve the poor and needy. That is true prayer. If someone possesses outstanding abilities, great wealth, or has gained power, it is not given solely for their own benefit. It is given to serve others. One reaches a position to help others because countless other people exist. Just as waves crash because there is seawater, if one excels academically, it is because there were other students who were less capable, allowing one to achieve such honor. If one has accumulated great wealth, it is because there were people who helped make it possible or who were relatively less fortunate.

When we approach others with such a mindset of compassion, love, and altruism, the world will see love, harmony, and peace instead of injustice, indifference, conflict, and strife. A world of co-prosperity will open, where I also prosper through the prosperity of others. My idea of providing fixed government support as a right, born from considering the anxieties of women responsible for household finances and the struggles of the poor, is based on a spirit of universal love. Furthermore, my proposals to resolve the debt of citizens and to provide opportunities for credit recovery to defaulters through 20-year interest-free, unsecured loans are also rooted in a spirit of love and universal love for the people.

Moreover, my ambition to unify Asia and the world after becoming Korea’s leader is also fundamentally driven by universal love. This is because countless people on this planet continue to starve, exposed to disease, and die from hunger every year. Endless wars erupt in various parts of the world, causing countless innocent people to die or lose their homes, becoming refugees living miserable lives. My aim is to put an end to these tragedies.

난세 ch.3 Huh Kyung-young Forged by Adversity, Destined for Leadership

The Hero of a Troubled Era: The Formative Years of Huh kyung young

Tags: “Leadership, Resilience, Education Reform, Economic Policy, Spiritual Wisdom”

1. A Childhood Forged in Adversity

Good day. This is Park Kyung-ha, reading from the book “Do You Know Huh kyung young, the Hero of a Troubled Era?” a book that all Koreans and, in the future, all global citizens should read. Today, we will delve into Chapter 3, “A Period Forged in Suffering.” It is said that keeping this book at home brings good fortune. I urge you to acquire it, share it widely, and embrace welfare and good luck.

Chapter 3: A Period Forged in Suffering. The Korean people, who have endured countless trials and tribulations throughout their long history, are now poised to become a great phoenix. This small land is destined to produce a magnificent nation that will soar powerfully across the globe, creating a wonderful world. I, too, who bear the mission of realizing a bright and benevolent world, had to undergo a long period of tempering through numerous trials and sufferings.

Raised amidst the love of life and the contemplation of death, I narrowly escaped death many times from an early age. Behind the house where I lived, there was a field stretching 200 meters to a lakeside, beyond which lay rice paddies. Next to the paddies was a small pond. One summer, at the age of five, I was playing alone in the pond and fell into its deep end.

At that moment, about a kilometer away, under a zelkova tree, a young man named Kim Young-gi, a farmhand from our village, was taking a nap after setting down his A-frame carrier on his way to gather firewood. Suddenly, a woman’s mournful voice called his name, waking him. He opened his eyes, but the woman was nowhere to be seen. As the voice continued to call from one direction, the young man walked a considerable distance along the rice paddy path towards the sound. After walking about a kilometer into the middle of a field where no one usually passed, following the woman’s calls, he found a small child floating with a swollen belly in a small pond. He quickly pulled the child out of the water and revived him by making him expel the water. That child was me.

It is said that from the moment he discovered me, the mournful voice ceased. This young man, Kim Young-gi, had buried his mother in the village mountain a year prior. After that incident, the rumor spread throughout the village that the sorrowful woman’s voice he heard was my mother’s. Whenever the village women saw me, they would stroke my head, saying, “This young child, this young child will live well” and shed tears while speaking of my deceased parents. They would also offer me food and comfort, showing me much affection, allowing me to grow up surrounded by an abundance of love.

2. Miraculous Escapes from the Brink of Death

The power that saved me from the brink of death. I don’t remember how old I was, but one day I went to the mountains to gather firewood. I climbed a tall tree to pick pinecones, but my hand slipped, and I fell from the tree. I lost consciousness for a moment, but when I came to, I found myself hanging precariously from a broken branch, with a long wound on my abdomen and my upper garment caught on the branch. I was bleeding, but the wound was not very deep. If I had fallen directly to the ground instead of being caught by the branch, I would have suffered severe injuries, perhaps a broken leg. I managed to reach out, grasp the tree, free my clothes from the branch, and climb down.

When I was about nine years old, I had gathered many pinecones and was carrying them down a treacherous cliff path. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and I tumbled down the cliff with my A-frame carrier. Fortunately, the carrier hit the ground first, so my body was not severely injured. If my body had hit the rocks first or been crushed by the carrier, I would have been gravely wounded or lost my life.

Besides these incidents, I almost died when a cow I was feeding grass to on a field ridge slipped and fell into a ditch, overturning and pinning me underneath with both hands. Another time, while cutting grass in the mountains, I was bitten by a poisonous snake hidden in the grass, lost consciousness, and woke up two hours later. There was also an occasion when a cow I was leading disturbed a beehive, and hundreds of bees swarmed and attacked me. I ran for hundreds of meters and jumped into a stream, but the bees pursued me and stung my body, leaving me in critical condition for about a week.

Even after coming to Seoul, I crossed the threshold of death countless times. When I first arrived in Seoul, I was shining shoes in Namdaemun Market to earn money for night middle school. One day, I heard that I could earn pocket money by appearing as an extra in a movie, so I went to film a war movie on Dobongsan Mountain. I was climbing the mountain in an allied uniform when suddenly an explosive detonated right in front of my face. My body was thrown about 10 meters into the air before crashing to the ground. If I had lost consciousness, I would surely have died.

Another time, I was living as a foster son to a pastor. During the day, I worked at a rubber factory, and in the evening, I attended night school. One day, a pile of discarded tires stacked high in the factory yard suddenly collapsed, and I was buried underneath. I was barely pulled out with the help of others, but I was severely injured.

Afterward, through the pastor’s introduction, I started working at a factory near Seoul Station that manufactured and exported gold rings. They made 14k and 18k gold and silver alloys, a process that involved boiling and melting two metals with potassium cyanide. I was assigned this task, and I couldn’t avoid inhaling the smell of potassium cyanide. Prolonged exposure to potassium cyanide as part of my job caused nosebleeds and made me accustomed to its odor. I nearly died several times.

During my third year of night high school, living in a tent on top of a shantytown in Hongje-dong, I had no thermal underwear. I wrapped my entire body in newspaper under my school uniform and shivered through the night. Wrapping myself in newspaper made it less cold and also prevented lice. However, one day, I went to school wrapped in newspaper and was discovered by my friends during physical education, leading to embarrassment.

Then, one night, as I slept in the tent, I suddenly began to experience severe abdominal pain. I endured the pain, shivering and clenching my teeth, for two days. When I set out for school on the third day, I lost consciousness and collapsed on the street. I woke up in a hospital operated by a Christian foundation. My appendix had ruptured, and the foreign matter had spread to my peritoneum. So much time had passed that the peritonitis was severe, making it very difficult to save me. Fortunately, the surgery was successful, and I miraculously survived. However, since it was a free surgery, I could only stay in the hospital for three days and had to be discharged. The nurses, feeling pity for me, pleaded with the hospital to allow me to stay for another week, but their request was denied. With tears in their eyes, the nurses collected money and pressed it into my hand, telling me never to live in a tent again.

After being discharged from peritonitis surgery, I took a month off from night school and worked temporarily at the 155 city bus depot. Late at night, after bus operations ended, the driver would repair the seats, and I would assist. Since it was late at night after repairs, I would sleep inside the bus, hugging the work light used for repairs to illuminate the surroundings. That night, as I slept hugging the light, the heat from the light ignited the blanket and seat I was using. The fire spread to my clothes, and the bus was filled with smoke. I barely escaped, nearly dying in the burning smoke.

One day, the car I was riding in had a head-on collision with an oncoming car, and I was the only survivor. Another time, while carrying bricks up to the fourth floor of a building under construction in Myeong-dong, I fell from the second floor with my A-frame carrier and lost consciousness.

Also, during my third year of high school, to earn tuition, I sold blood at a hygiene hospital, receiving 3,000 won per donation. However, that money was not enough for tuition, so I donated blood three times consecutively over a short period. Eventually, I lost consciousness on the hospital lawn. I fell into a coma and went to the brink of death, but I woke up due to a strange phenomenon. I was lying on the lawn, and the evening bells of a church, which I had embraced as a hygiene measure, were ringing.

One cold winter night, as I slept in my tent on top of Hongje-dong, a blizzard blew the tent away. While searching for the tent, I fell off a cliff and lost consciousness, but I survived with only a broken leg.

Thus, I experienced many near-death situations, but each time, I was saved by the help of others or miraculously survived by some unknown force.

3. Empathy Born from Shared Suffering

I also faced near-death experiences many times while trying to save others. One day, in Heukseok-dong, Seoul, I witnessed a head-on collision between a taxi carrying a professor who worked as a doctor in Gangnam and his mother, and another car. Both were severely injured and unconscious inside the taxi, left unattended. Suddenly, flames erupted from the taxi. As the fire spread towards the taxi’s LPG tank, many surrounding cars and people fled.

I was driving my car at the intersection in front of the Won Buddhism Hall in Heukseok-dong. As soon as I saw the scene, I resolved to die and approached the taxi. People shouted from all directions, warning that the taxi would explode and urging me to retreat quickly. Still, I parked my car next to the taxi and moved everyone inside to my vehicle. Then, I drove 1.5 kilometers to Gangnam St. Mary’s Hospital. Hearing the emergency room doctor say that they would all have died if they had bled a little more, the tension released, and my consciousness became hazy.

These near-death experiences strengthened me and allowed me to apprehend the suffering of others more deeply. While I am naturally inclined not to overlook the difficulties of others, my direct experiences with pain and the brink of death became the driving force behind my empathy for others’ suffering and my desire to help them.

4. The Profound Influence of Formative Years

The years that greatly influenced me. I returned to the tent after working as a boxer, but my body had not fully recovered. Living in the tent in that condition, my abdomen gradually swelled, and painful symptoms appeared. Unable to do anything else, I would sometimes rest in the church hall at night. One day, I visited Hongguksa Temple on Nogosan Mountain, near Bukhansanseong Fortress. There, I recuperated, chopped firewood for the temple, and attended school at night. I stayed in a small room next to the main gate, in the Hamyang Cheongdo area.

I chopped wood during the day and attended school at night. By the time school ended, it was too late to eat dinner at the temple, so I often went hungry. However, in a large room facing mine, where there was a color TV, a wealthy young woman was recuperating. She was a third-year university student and a regular visitor to the temple. After school, I had to walk about 4 kilometers from the bus stop, where there was no light, up the Hongguksa Valley to reach the temple. When I looked towards the temple from afar, I could see the light on in her room. The light was like a lighthouse guiding a ship in the dark night.

Seeing that light, I gathered courage and arrived at the temple. At some point, she started to keep dinner for me, hidden under her room’s blanket, and would bring it to me. When I was gathering firewood in the red-leafed forest during the day, she would sometimes come and read poetry to me. Listening to her read poetry, I would naturally recite my own poems alongside her.

That beautiful young woman, like a maiden, quietly passed away that winter on a day when the snow was ankle-deep. I knew about her illness. She used to say that just seeing me, who had been given bitter medicine as a child, made her feel better. However, I could not do anything about her illness. It was partly because her illness was beyond my control, but also because I was in a period of preparing myself to fulfill my future mission. This involved personally experiencing countless human sufferings, including the pain of separation, and comprehension and empathizing with complex human emotions and pain.

Facing her death, I felt an unspeakable sense of loss and a deep powerlessness for not being able to cure her illness. Amidst this powerlessness and self-reproach, I could not forget the warm love I had received from her, like a mother’s embrace. As time passed, it became a deep longing in my heart. After she passed away, whenever I returned to the temple after school, I would wander through the pitch-black, silent mountain valley, devoid of the lighthouse’s glow, and shed silent tears. Whenever I studied past midnight in the temple’s gatehouse room, hungry, I would instinctively look towards her large room, as if she might enter with a dinner tray.

My mother passed away three years and six months after I was born. When her funeral procession left, the village women told me, “Your mother is going to Seoul in a flower palanquin.” Being a naive child, I believed them and danced, boasting to other children. It is said that the entire village wept at the sight. When they burned the blanket and clothes my mother used to sleep with in the stream, yellow smoke rose high into the sky. At that time, I watched the fire, unknowingly joyful. At the tender age of four, I did not fully comprehend my mother’s death and let her go.

However, standing before the death of that young woman who taught a lonely boy beautiful poetry while drawing the red-leafed mountain temple, I truly felt many things. The death that leaves those remaining unable to see their loved ones again, the deep sorrow and wounds it brings, the pain of separation and longing, the memory of a mother cow sold to the slaughterhouse, shedding tears for her young calf, and my inability to save the young woman who fell like a leaf—these memories, along with my longing for my mother, remained as wounds in my heart that could never truly heal.

Soon after she passed away, I left the temple and returned to the tent in Hongje-dong. Leaving the temple without her, I spent a night under the Jungnyang Bridge, where my mother had given birth to me, hugging my worn-out schoolbag and shedding many tears. I longed for my mother anew.

In the third grade of elementary school, my homeroom teacher, Ms. Kim Myeong-suk, would make me stand next to her at the end of class and hold my hand, often facing scorn from other students, simply because I had no parents. She would then take me to the faculty office, seat me next to her, give me tasks, and tell me many stories. However, when I was 11, she was suddenly transferred to a distant school. I watched her departing figure from a second-story alleyway, hidden, as other teachers saw her off from the village entrance, and I shed silent tears.

A few days before she left, the teacher took me to a riverside hill in the village and sat with me. She held my hand tightly, shedding tears, and told me that just as the stars in the sky would one day meet again, we would surely meet again, and that I should never give up on my studies. That teacher had given love and courage to a boy who lived without parents in someone else’s home, without a smile, and came to school in shabby clothes. After the young woman’s death, a vague longing and curiosity arose within me, wondering where and how that teacher was living.

My mother, who left when I was seven; Ms. Kim Myeong-suk, who left when I was eleven; and the young woman, who left when I was eighteen. Since then, whenever I think of these three women, I feel as if they are always watching over me. The thought of repaying their love and expectations makes me resolve to care for those in need and do good in the world, even more than what I have received.

These various experiences during my youth were a preparation for fulfilling my future mission, a period destined for me to experience everything a human being could endure. During this time, my identity was obscured even to myself, but it was also a period designed for me to gradually realize my true self through these diverse experiences.

5. The Sanctity of Life and Societal Responsibility

The profound importance of life. I contemplated the preciousness of life as I experienced numerous near-death situations and witnessed the deaths of others. Life, when fully apprehended, is a command to survive. All living beings on this earth live by the command to live. Each living being is imbued with the will to live, designed to think and act towards survival. Therefore, all living beings dislike death. Humans, of course, but even animals and lower creatures like earthworms struggle to survive when their lives are in danger or threatened.

However, nowadays, the disregard for life is excessive. Homicides are one thing, but suicides, where individuals voluntarily reject the command to live, are ceaseless. People commit suicide due to despair over financial hardship, business failure, inability to manage credit card debt, or depression. Teenagers commit suicide due to stress from the college entrance exam hell, despair over school grades, or bullying. Celebrities take their own lives due to online malicious comments, and even politicians resort to suicide when corruption is exposed or they face social condemnation. This phenomenon reflects how lightly life is regarded.

this phenomenon is not solely the fault of individuals. The responsibility of the state and society cannot be denied. In the past, suicides were often due to personal faults or tendencies, such as individuals taking their own lives due to social pressure after committing immoral acts, young people losing the will to live after failed relationships, or a sense of disillusionment with life. However, now, most suicides are due to social problems. Financial hardship, unbearable debt, school grades and violence, social stress, and online malicious comments are all causes of suicide for which society and the state bear responsibility.

As I have always said, the increasing number of suicides is primarily the responsibility of our nation’s politics. If politicians govern well and manage the nation’s affairs properly, a society that drives individuals to suicide cannot be created. Statistics show that as the unemployment rate rises, so does the suicide rate. How many citizens commit suicide because they cannot bear their debts?

Debt that individuals cannot manage is also a national problem. Because the state fails to stabilize real estate prices, people constantly worry about housing prices and incur debt to buy homes, even taking out loans. If the state guaranteed citizens a life free from worries about livelihood, providing even rental housing, raising children, marrying them off, and living without concerns about old age, then, except in special cases, citizens would not recklessly borrow money for investments or even engage in gambling-level businesses.

If economic policies are well-established, even businesses started by individuals can turn a profit. Situations where businesses operate at a loss year after year, struggling and eventually closing down, would not occur. Economic policies that burden businesses and create unemployment push both businesses and citizens to the brink, turning them into defaulters. Or, economic policies that deepen the gap between rich and poor drive citizens into poverty. Incidents like family suicides, which occasionally appear in the news, are often extreme choices made by citizens who can no longer endure the vicious cycle of poverty.

That’s not all. Why do politicians fail to reform education so that children can study happily, learn joyfully, unleash their creativity, and develop their character, instead of leaving them in the hell of college entrance exams and school violence, creating suicidal teenagers? Because politics is not upright, our country, regrettably, has the highest suicide rate among OECD countries.

Life is sacred. It must never be carelessly ended. My life is precious, and so is the life of others. Human life is precious, and animal life is precious. All have the right and duty to live, having received the command to survive. Individuals must awaken to the preciousness of life and value their own lives. The government must place the people’s livelihood at the center of its policies so that citizens are not driven to the brink where they abandon even their lives. Ideology or doctrine that disregards the lives of the people is not righteous. The fundamental purpose of politics is to ensure that citizens can live stable lives.

6. Reforming the Educational Paradigm

We must change the education system. Since the issue of youth suicide has come up, I would like to discuss school education. Approximately 800 teenagers commit suicide in Korea each year. 800 people. Considering the number of those who attempted suicide but did not succeed, the number of youth suicide attempts is estimated to be enormous. The biggest cause of youth suicide is undoubtedly the current flawed education system. Due to excessive, endless competition and an education system focused on college entrance exams, many children, whose mental development is not yet complete, cannot overcome academic stress and make extreme choices. Cases where students choose suicide due to school violence are also a result of education’s failure to properly provide character education that can prevent school violence.

What is education? Humans are born with innate spontaneous and creative potential and a desire to develop and advance it. Education means to nurture these possibilities, inherent talents, and to help and guide them towards the right direction. The Chinese character ‘교 “敎”‘ means ‘to teach,’ and ‘육 “育”‘ means ‘to raise’ or ‘to help grow properly.’ Education is to fully and properly blossom human talents, nature, and spontaneous and creative potential.

But is the current education system in Korea doing that? It is a standardized education that completely disregards individual talents and aptitudes. Although efforts have been made to change the content, the dominant teaching method remains rote learning and memorization, tailored for exams. Students are forced to study and take exams in numerous subjects that do not match their aptitudes, and their university admission is determined by the results of just one or two exams. Although the college entrance exam system has been changed numerous times whenever governments and education ministers changed, this fundamental foundation and basic framework have rarely changed significantly.

Within this education system, children are driven into fierce competition, losing their humanity and their unique talents and personalities. Their creativity is forcibly and utterly suppressed, and standardized content is repeatedly injected, treating children as if they were products on an assembly line. Students who are well-drilled have a higher chance of success in college entrance exams. As a result, teachers and academies that teach memorization techniques, explain problem-solving strategies even for mathematics, and select frequently tested content become popular. Children spend late nights at school or academies to win the competition and succeed in college entrance exams, leaving no time for physical training or playing with friends.

Children’s basic education begins at home, but children can barely even see their parents, let alone converse with them. According to one survey, Korean teenagers spend an average of only about 13 minutes a day talking with their parents. How can proper home education be provided then? Furthermore, the phenomenon of “wild goose fathers” where mothers and children go abroad for the children’s education while fathers remain in Korea, working hard and sending money, has become common in our country. This is undeniably a phenomenon of family disintegration caused by Korea’s flawed education system. The current education system is not only ruining school education but also disintegrating families.

The current educational philosophy, which prioritizes knowledge “지”, then virtue “덕”, and finally physical health “체”, is also flawed. This order means prioritizing intellectual education, followed by character education, and lastly physical education. This order should be reversed. No matter how much knowledge one possesses, if one is sick and has health problems, that knowledge is useless. Physical education, which promotes physical health, should be prioritized. Children should be able to play freely in playgrounds and engage in physical activities.

Next, education that only imparts knowledge but lacks character, or education without integrity, is also a major problem. Character has always been considered the most important aspect of education since ancient times. This is because character was regarded as the most crucial goal of education. Education that lacks character cannot be considered true education, and knowledge-only education without character education can even harm society. The widespread selfishness in our society today is largely due to the failure of proper character education. Anyone who listens to children’s conversations or rides a bus or subway will realize how poor character education is.

Our education system, which has lost its fundamental purpose and direction and, instead of helping children’s proper growth, rather harms and misguides them, must be changed as soon as possible. I believe that the college entrance exam “Suneung” should be abolished. Instead, during the secondary education process, students should be able to enter university based on their cumulative mock exam scores in one subject of their choice over four years. Other subjects should only require attendance, allowing teenagers to maintain their health, build friendships, and enjoy school life without excessive exam stress. I also believe that physical education should be assertd, and revolutionary changes should be made to character education methods.

Focusing on just one subject makes school life enjoyable. Since students can concentrate on subjects they are talented in and enjoy, like the tortoise and the hare, they can become specialists in one field by developing their respective talents. Since each child may have different preferred subjects, there is no need for excessive competition. I believe that suicidal impulses due to academic stress will naturally disappear.

I also believe that Chinese character education should be introduced from elementary school in the curriculum. It is problematic that our country, which belongs to the Chinese character cultural sphere along with China and Japan, does not properly teach Chinese characters. Historically, many records of the Korean people are written in classical Chinese, and it is difficult to properly apprehend our culture without examining texts written in Chinese characters and classical Chinese. When expressing in Korean, if only the phonetic script Hangeul is used, it can be difficult to clearly convey the meaning of words that have multiple meanings. In fact, throughout a long history, Chinese characters have also been the script of the Korean people, and while Hangeul is a phonetic script, Chinese characters form a complementary pair with Hangeul as ideograms.

Chinese characters contain history and culture. For example, the Chinese character ‘백선 “百鮮”‘ evokes Noah’s Ark in the sacred realm. This is because the character contains the meaning of eight people like a boat. Through the Chinese character ‘정백선 “Right百鮮”‘, one can infer that there was migration or cultural transmission between the peoples at the eastern and western ends of Asia. Furthermore, learning Chinese characters has the advantage of making new words easier to apprehend.

Moreover, exchanges with China and Japan are expected to become even more active in the future. Without knowing Chinese characters, which are a common written language, communication problems can arise. Future generations of teenagers living in a global era must learn Chinese or Japanese in addition to English, and knowing Chinese characters and classical Chinese is very advantageous for learning these languages.

I believe that future generations should be encouraged to learn about Eastern philosophy and thought. Chinese characters and Eastern philosophy and thought are the roots of our Korean people. A nation that forgets its roots will find it difficult to unite and may be assimilated by other nations, disappearing without a trace. Furthermore, learning Eastern philosophy and thought is, in itself, character education. Virtues such as loyalty and filial piety are immutable virtues that humans must uphold, even as times change.

In Japan, the I Ching is taught from elementary school. Learning the I Ching allows one to apprehend the principles of the world and can help in setting life goals or making important decisions. In the West, too, the I Ching is used for important decisions. It is natural that the I Ching is utilized when NASA launches spacecraft or makes other critical decisions. It is not right to consider Western metaphysics as the only profound wisdom and disregard our traditional thoughts and studies. Western science is considered great, but each theory is a kind of hypothesis, often differs from facts, and is frequently replaced by new theories.

Education is a plan for a hundred years. Our nation has hope when our children receive proper education, grow up healthy, unleash their creativity, and become future generations who can uphold beautiful customs and traditions. If education is properly established, we can nurture talents who will become pillars of the nation based on creativity in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, opening up a Republic of Korea that can lead the future society.

7. The Arduous Journey to Seoul and the Kindness of Strangers

A life in Seoul that began with hardship, with a bright and benevolent heart even amidst trials. The journey from my hometown, where my mother’s grave was, to Seoul was a painful and anxious pilgrimage. I initially planned to walk to Seoul, believing I had to live there, led by friends, so I did not take the train. I started walking from Banseong Station, heading in what I thought was the direction of Seoul. Sometimes I ran on flat ground, and sometimes I climbed mountains. While climbing a mountain, my black rubber shoes tore, and I ended up walking barefoot. After two days of limping, I arrived in Masan. My feet were bleeding and blistered, and I could not walk any further.

When I went to buy a train ticket, I found I only had enough money to go as far as Daejeon. Reluctantly, I bought a ticket to Daejeon and boarded a slow train bound for Seoul. From Daejeon onwards, I hid under the seat, a stowaway. My heart pounded every time a conductor passed by, checking tickets. Eventually, I was caught by station staff at YeongDeungPo Station, near Seoul Station. There were many others caught for fare evasion besides me.

The station staff took the book bundle from my hand, opened it, and pressed me, saying, “Aren’t you the one who stole your father’s book 30 years ago?” When I said it was my book, the staff told me to read it. When I recited it fluently, the staff were surprised and began to read the diary that was with it. It contained my past life, thoughts, and aspirations. The station staff looked at me with great surprise, then opened the bundle of soil I had brought from my mother’s grave. When the soil appeared, the staff asked, “Why did you bring the soil?” I replied, “It is the soil from my deceased mother’s grave. I brought it to strengthen my resolve when I face difficulties while studying in Seoul.”

A female station staff member nearby pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away tears. Then, the staff members conversed, and the female staff member approached me. “The police will be here soon to arrest those who evaded fares. I’ve secretly arranged for you to be let go, so go that way. And this money is what we collected; it’s not much, but buy some food and find a place to sleep. I wish I could take you home, but my family is large, so I can’t.” She held my hand tightly and pressed the money into it.

Staring blankly at Seoul, where my father and mother had last parted ways, a memory I couldn’t recall, I stood like a 망부석 “mangbuseok, a stone figure of a woman waiting for her husband” in Seoul Station Plaza, clutching my old book bundle. Seoul, a foreign land, where my mother, having lost her husband who vanished like dew on the execution ground, had left during the war, weeping with her sick body and holding me, a young child. My name, even my name, remained. I was reborn into Seoul, a city of destiny from which I could not sever ties.

Many people later told me it was my mother’s dying wish, but I had vowed from a young age to find my father’s remains, or if I couldn’t, to erect a monument at the site of the Seoul prison where he died. I first visited Seodaemun Prison and prostrated myself on the ground before the prison gate, bowing to my father. Then, I asked about Jungnyang Bridge, where my mother had given birth to me, and went to see it. Although I couldn’t pinpoint the exact location of the small hut where my mother had lived, I assumed it was a wide open space by the water. I went down there and stood for a while, thinking of my mother, then gazed at the flowing river. It felt as if my mother’s pure tears, shed every night as she lit candles and prayed, desperately wanting to save her husband after her life suddenly plummeted into despair, were mixed somewhere in the river, flowing away.

I returned to Namdaemun Market, where many people gathered, and while looking for a place to go, I started working as a shoe shiner at the market entrance. At night, I slept with other shoe-shining children in an unlicensed dormitory. Then, I enrolled in a night middle school called Hyeopseong Godong Public School in Ganam. In that dormitory, people smoked so much that the smoke and smell made it impossible to concentrate on studying. I left that place and wandered through several others, including working as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant, but nothing was suitable.

After much deliberation, I decided to try my luck at a temple and went to Hwagyesa Temple in Suyu-ri. There, I met Master Songsan Yi Haeng-won. The Master took me in as his foster son, becoming my second foster father. I cooked meals there, not only for the Hwagyesa monks but also for about 200 students from Dongguk University’s Buddhist College dormitory, totaling about 1,000 servings a day. And at night, I attended school. That’s how I was able to graduate from night middle school while cooking at Hwagyesa Temple. In my spare time at the temple, I read the Tripitaka Koreana, mastering Buddhist philosophy, including the Middle Way. After graduating from middle school there, I enrolled in Hyeopseong Industrial Technical School, a high school program.

However, around that time, Master Sungsan left for America to spread Buddhism. The Master told me, “You need to study, but there is too much work here, making it difficult to study. you should leave this place. If you go to Geumjeong, there is a small temple called Cheongnyongsa; go there.” As I climbed the mountain to find Geumjeongsan, five women were descending. When I asked about Cheongnyongsa Temple, they asked back, “Why is a student looking for a temple?” I replied, “To work during the day and attend school at night.” Then, they almost snatched my schoolbag and took me to Naesudong Church in Gangnammun, saying that I could sleep and study there with the pastor.

This is how Pastor Hong Gan-seok became my third foster father. The pastor was from North Korea and was very incorruptible. At that time, he had only one blanket brought from North Korea, and we both slept under it. However, when I woke up cold during the night, I would find the blanket pulled over by the pastor, leaving me uncovered. Some nights, I would be covering myself alone. Without realizing it, we both repeatedly engaged in a blanket tug-of-war while sleeping. I stayed there for two years, working during the day and attending school at night. In my spare time, I studied the Old and New Testaments of Christianity, and on weekends, I would climb to the top of the village, beat a drum to gather children, bring them to the church, and teach them the Bible.

8. The Synthesis of Knowledge and Ideologies

Having mastered human knowledge and ideologies through day and night study, I began to pursue my academic dreams by enrolling in middle school while shining shoes immediately after arriving in Seoul. Although it was a night middle school, I studied as diligently as students attending day middle school. If my living situation was not suitable for studying, I would seek out other places and combine work with study there. In the unlicensed dormitory, it was impossible to study due to the cigarette smoke and smell from the shoe-shining children, so I moved from place to place before settling at Hwagyesa Temple. At Hwagyesa, there was too much work, and I lacked time for study, so I left when Master Sungsan departed.

The situation was similar at Naesudong Church, where there was also a lot of work. The pastor introduced me to jobs, saying that people must work to live. I worked for one semester at a rubber factory, and then at a gold ring factory called Dongyangdang, operated by a church member, where I was buried under tires. After work, I would go to school, and by the time I returned to the pastor’s residence at the church late at night, I was utterly exhausted. However, I never neglected my school homework or review, and after school, I immersed myself in reading the Bible.

Having already mastered classical Chinese texts in elementary school and studied the Tripitaka at Hwagyesa Temple in the foothills of Bukhansan, thereby comprehending Buddhist philosophy, I now began to grasp Christian thought. I would even create four-character Chinese idioms for concepts like Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, such as “심령이 가난한 자는 천국이 저의 것이며” “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”, which I would memorize as “영빈천국” “Spiritually poor, heaven’s kingdom”. Thus, I reached a level where I could master, compare, and analyze Confucianism, Buddhism, and Christianity.

However, the work was too demanding, and I lacked time for study. On weekdays, I worked at the gold ring factory during the day, studied at school at night, and on weekends, I had no choice but to teach children in the village. Therefore, around the time I was about to enter my third year of high school, I discussed it with the pastor and left that place, setting up a tent on top of a mountain in Hongje-dong to live alone.

Hongje-dong Moaksan, also known as Ansan, is a low mountain behind the village. Even at that time, a shantytown had formed quite high up the mountain, and people would climb to the spring on the mountainside to draw water. I acquired a military tent and pitched it near the spring in winter, and on the mountaintop during other seasons when the weather was milder. Inside the tent, I made a fire and placed my books and clothes on one side. After school, it would be late at night, so I would light a candle and do my homework and study. On days when I didn’t have money to buy rice, I would study by the light of the moon or snow. For food, after school, I would buy two hotteok “sweet pancakes” and eat one in the morning and one in the evening. If a mouse came and ate my hotteok at night, I would go without breakfast. One night, as I slept, I suddenly felt a sharp sting on my nose. I opened my eyes to find a mouse gnawing at my nose.

During the day, I would go downtown to sell pens and other items, and in the evening, I would attend school. However, when I returned from work during the day, neighborhood children would come to my tent to play, tear up my books to make ttaejji “paper slaps”, play with them, and then leave them behind. Realizing this was unsustainable, I found a small pot, smaller than a kimchi pot, dug a hole under the tent, buried the pot, and put my books and food for the next morning inside. Then, I covered it with plywood, a straw mat, and a blanket. After that, my books were no longer torn, and my hotteok did not disappear.

During exam periods, I couldn’t even sell pens, which was my only means of sustenance. at such times, I would visit neighborhoods like Pyo-dong, Goin-dong, Gongjeong-dong, Naesu-dong, and Sajik-dong, knock on the doors of traditional Korean houses, explain my situation when someone came out, and ask for food. At that time, people were generally kind-hearted, and most would open their doors and offer food. Among these, there was one house that always left its gate open. I later learned it was the residence of the late Chairman Chung Ju-yung. Whenever I visited, the lady of the house would personally come out, pitying and admiring me, not only feeding me but also putting pocket money in my hand.

Thus, I lived independently, enduring hardships and sleeping outdoors, yet always prioritizing my studies, even sometimes obtaining meals from others’ homes. Through this, I mastered the knowledge and philosophies accumulated by humanity, comprehension the essence of human society’s politics, economy, history, science, and literature. All of this was to help me apprehend the human world and culture, and to use that comprehension as a means to realize my aspirations in the world.

9. Hardship as a Catalyst for Growth

Hardship is wealth. I tell people that experiencing hardship, making mistakes, and failing in life are assets. An old saying goes, “One should buy hardship when young.” Hardship and failure are the best teachers, providing enlightenment, fostering growth, and guiding one to become a mature person. Only by experiencing hardship oneself can one apprehend those in difficult circumstances, and when achieving success, one can genuinely desire to help those who have not.

Failure and mistakes can make a person humble and magnanimous. One can develop a deep comprehension, avoiding hasty judgments and criticisms of others who make mistakes or fail. From being raised without parents, my early life was a continuous series of hardships and trials. However, I have never once resented or blamed anyone for the hardships or difficulties I experienced. I always looked towards my mother’s grave with a positive and benevolent heart, striving forward, and never lost my smile amidst any trial.

Strangely, whenever I faced difficult situations, I often met people who showed me warm love. That is why, even now, many reasons for living with gratitude reside in my heart. My poor and difficult childhood made me care for those who live hard lives and became the driving force for me to do something for them. Later, when I acquired a large sum of money, I spent it all over ten years operating several orphanages and helping 15,000 orphans because of that childhood.

As industrialization intensified, I thought about the poor, as the gap between rich and poor widened, and I devised ways to solve this and enable ordinary people to live well. This was the plan to save the budget and provide 500,000 to 1.5 million won to all citizens above a certain age. Consequently, the path I have walked, enduring unspeakable hardships and trials, not only helped me set the correct direction for fulfilling my future mission but also served as a solid foundation for conceiving concrete policies and striving for their realization, and I believe it will continue to do so.

10. Youth Employment and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Youth employment and small and medium-sized enterprises. My life in Seoul was also a period when I gained experience working in self-employed businesses and companies, and came to apprehend that world. Although it has improved significantly now, working conditions in factories and manufacturing companies were extremely poor back then. The gold ring factory where I worked while staying at the church had an extremely dangerous environment. Due to concerns about theft of expensive parts, all windows were closed, making the air inside the factory incredibly polluted. The potassium cyanide fumes emitted during the metal melting process were toxic substances, and working in such polluted air while handling water for polishing inevitably deteriorated my health.

At that time, most small and medium-sized enterprises had poor working environments. Having worked in such adverse conditions, I resolved that when our country’s situation improved, I would strive to improve working environments in companies so that people could work while maintaining their health.

Meanwhile, in our country today, countless young people are unemployed because there are no jobs. In fact, it is more accurate to say that there are no desired jobs. This is because small and medium-sized enterprises are constantly opening and closing, and they are desperate for workers. So why do young people not want to work in small and medium-sized enterprises, even when there are jobs available, and remain unemployed? Some criticize young people, saying it is because they have not experienced hardship. considering the past, this is not entirely wrong, but it is a cold remark that comes from failing to apprehend young people as if they were one’s own children.

If you consider that young person as your own child who has overcome the hellish college entrance exams and pursued higher education, you cannot easily make such harsh remarks. If it were my child, I could apprehend them dedicating years to civil service exams, and if they failed dozens of times but still applied for a large corporation, I couldn’t tell them to stop and settle for something else. Instead, I would hope they get into a good place, even if it takes time, and support my child’s studies. Therefore, the issue of youth employment should not be approached with cold logic and rationality alone. Instead, it requires seeking solutions with a warm perspective, wishing for the well-being of young people as if they were our own children.

Then, we need to consider why young people prefer large corporations over the many job opportunities in small and medium-sized enterprises. First, the wage gap is too large. Even with similar education and qualifications, friends who join large corporations receive high salaries and various welfare benefits, while they themselves are reluctant to join small and medium-sized enterprises with lower pay and fewer benefits, as their pride does not allow it. Moreover, small and medium-sized enterprises have lower brand image and recognition compared to large corporations. In short, working for a small or medium-sized enterprise is not prestigious. They feel intimidated when they see peers working for large corporations, and in the case of men, women do not prefer men working for small or medium-sized enterprises, leading to psychological pressure when seeking a marriage partner. Even if the present is difficult, there should be future prospects, but they feel that is unlikely. For these reasons, even if there are many job openings in small and medium-sized enterprises, young people are reluctant to commit.

Policymakers aiming to solve youth unemployment and support employment must accurately apprehend these realities of young people and devise countermeasures. To encourage young people to join small and medium-sized enterprises, they must be provided with satisfactory benefits and guaranteed future prospects. Immediate monthly salary is important, but if there is hope for a guaranteed future while working there, not only hesitant young people but also those who previously wouldn’t even consider small and medium-sized enterprises can be attracted.

I approach the issues of small and medium-sized enterprises and young people with a warm perspective, considering their situations. To alleviate the labor shortage in small and medium-sized enterprises and promote youth employment in them, I believe the following measures are effective: The state should directly provide about 1 million won per month for several years to young people who join small and medium-sized enterprises. If they work there for another two to three years, and then dream of starting their own business, they should be supported with about 300 million won in startup capital, unsecured, unguaranteed, and interest-free.

If about 1 million won per month is provided for several years, the wage gap between large and small/medium enterprises will significantly narrow. After the period of state support, although government subsidies will cease, there will have been wage increases, and the hope of receiving startup capital after working for another two to three years will likely make them quite willing to continue working. some will choose not to resign and continue working, reaching a seniority level where they can hold managerial positions within the company. This would be a sufficient condition to attract young people to small and medium-sized enterprises. If such measures are implemented, not only will the youth unemployment problem be solved, but the labor shortage in small and medium-sized enterprises will also be significantly alleviated.

From the perspective of small and medium-sized enterprises, in cases that do not require high-level technology or expertise, it is more advantageous for the company to have a continuous influx of new talent and a turnover of personnel, with workers staying for about four to five years before leaving.

The dream of entrepreneurship holds significant meaning for young people. While immediate financial gain is important, if they can also harbor the hope of pursuing greater dreams while working there, they can use employment in a small or medium-sized enterprise as a stepping stone in life. Compared to joining a large corporation, while the initial entry might be good, stress gradually builds up, and one eventually has to retire at an older age. However, if one wishes to start a business after retirement, one can only receive startup loans if there is a viable business idea. In the case of large corporations, there are no advantages in terms of startup support. One must secure startup capital entirely on one’s own.

However, according to my plan, individuals who have worked for a small or medium-sized enterprise for a certain period can receive up to 300 million won in startup capital, unsecured, unguaranteed, and interest-free. Therefore, even if the salary is slightly less than at a large corporation, there is a guarantee of being able to pursue one’s desired work in the future. There would be no reason to avoid small and medium-sized enterprises due to low pay, poor working conditions, or a perceived lack of prestige and damaged pride. I believe that achieving both the goal of three years of employment and solving the labor shortage in small and medium-sized enterprises is possible through a plan like mine, approached with a warm heart of love.

11. The Unexpected Turn: Becoming a Foster Son to Lee Byung-chul

“Would you not help me if I were lying on the ground?”My life, a continuous series of pain and trials, changed completely, and too abruptly, from my third year of high school. I believe it is difficult to apprehend such a transformation from a human perspective. It was a dramatic ascent, a complete reversal of life’s conditions. By meeting the late Chairman Lee Byung-chul, the founder of Samsung, and becoming his foster son, I no longer had to endure the arduous life of balancing study and work. Furthermore, I learned corporate management from the chairman of a top enterprise and even became a confidential policy advisor to President Park chung hee, learning national governance.

I believe that when I introduced these events in my book, not a few people disbelieved them, and the situation remains the same today. This is because, logically, it is a miraculous event that is almost impossible to happen.

One day, as I slept in the bitter cold, something cold kept falling on my face. I opened my eyes. My protective tent was gone, and I was lying directly in the blizzard, being hit by snow. It seemed the tent had been blown away by the severe blizzard. In the middle of the night, with the blizzard making it difficult to open my eyes, I wandered around looking for the tent. I slipped on a steep hill and tumbled down behind the outhouse of a shantytown below. Without time to react, my right leg broke. Instead of a month in the hospital, I lay motionless in the tent, eating snow from the mountain, waiting for my leg to heal.

I lay there and envisioned my future. A wandering monk in my childhood had told me I would become a leader who would guide the world, and my father had also given me my name with the expectation that I would become a leader who would bring peace to the world. From that day on, I knew who I was and why I was enduring such hardships. I believed I had to prepare to fulfill that mission and diligently studied the world’s knowledge, philosophies, and religions. Even when my friends smoked, I never once smoked, nor did I ever touch alcohol. I always looked at the soil from my mother’s grave, strengthened my resolve, concentrated on my studies, and was filled with a sense of mission to achieve my dream.

I had to live and earn tuition, so I worked during the day and studied at school when I was enrolled, not wasting even a moment in between, reading books. All the world’s religions, philosophies, ideologies, politics, economics, and even world magazines were being stored in my mind. Once I saw something, it was directly input into my brain, automatically analyzed, integrated with previous knowledge, and stored. Even now, more than 50 years later, I remember almost all the Chinese character books I studied since elementary school, the contents of Buddhist and Christian scriptures, and the political and economic theories I learned in school and sometimes through self-study. I also remember almost all the countless poems the young woman read to me and the old songs played on the bus.

A month later, when my leg bone had mended and I could move, I went down to the village. There was a house in the shantytown that made and sold indoor slippers for kitchens. The owner of the house saw me, thin and hollow-eyed, coming down the mountain, and offered me ten pairs of slippers, telling me to sell them and go back to school. I thanked him, took them, put them in my schoolbag, and looked for a neighborhood where indoor slippers would be worn, eventually going to Jangchung-dong.

There, I sat in front of a large gate, reading a book and waiting for the gate to open. At some point, I looked inside the gate and saw an unfamiliar luxury car parked there. A man who seemed to be a driver stood with his back to me, holding open the car door. Inside the car, a woman was sitting, changing her shoes, and another man, who appeared to be in his mid-forties, was looking towards the gate where I was. I took out a slipper from my schoolbag, quickly took off my hat, and ran towards the adult walking towards me, showing him the slipper and saying, “I am a high school student, and I have to sell all these slippers to go to school. Please give me some time to study. I will never forget your kindness.”

Then, the adult looked at my face intently, took my hand, and said, “Let’s go inside and talk for a moment.” He then told the woman who was changing her shoes, “Honey, let’s cancel our outing today and go inside.” He canceled his outing and almost dragged me into the room. He called the housekeepers and told them to set the table. I didn’t know it then, but that person was the late Chairman Lee Byung-chul, the founder of Samsung, Korea’s top conglomerate, and the woman changing her shoes was his wife.

When the table was set, he thoughtfully told me to eat the fried egg first, as eating rice suddenly might choke me, and watched me eat. After I finished eating, he asked my name, where I lived, and with whom. I told him I lived alone, selling things during the day and attending night high school at night. After hearing my story, he asked me to become his foster son. I was flustered by the unexpected offer and expressed my reluctance.

“My parents.. passed away, and although I live alone now, I always carry my parents in my heart, and I believe I must continue to live that way. Therefore, becoming someone else’s foster son is difficult.” He persuaded me, saying I didn’t have to change my surname and could just come and live in his house as his foster son. He also said he would buy all my shoes and gave me 2,000 won, the price of ten pairs of slippers, telling me to think about it for a while longer.

When I did not change my mind for over an hour, he asked me, “If I were lying on the ground, would you not help me?” At those words, my head bowed. “Very well. Then, I will keep my surname and become your foster son.” Thus, without looking back, I transformed from a poor student to the foster son of Korea’s top tycoon. This miraculous event happened when I was 19 years old, in my third year of high school. My leg was broken, I had self-cast it, endured for about a month eating snow on the cold mountainside, and when I was able to move, I went to sell slippers, which I had received with kindness from a villager, as a commoner.

I tried to return the 2,000 won I received for the slippers, saying, “Now that I am your foster son, I don’t need the money. Please take it back.” He initially refused, saying, “You need it” but eventually accepted it due to my persistence. Then, he called his driver and told him to go with me to my place and bring my belongings. I said I could bring them myself on the bus, but this time he was adamant, so I eventually went with the driver in the car to pack my things. He sent the driver with me out of concern that I might not return if I went alone.

From that day on, I had many conversations with my foster father, the chairman, whenever he had time. I offered many insights and solutions to problems, based on my studies of Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity, Donghak “Eastern Learning”, and Eastern philosophies such as the I Ching, astronomy, geomancy, and physiognomy, which I had a natural talent for. The chairman listened very intently to my words. He also asked about personnel and management of the group, and I sincerely shared my thoughts.

I suggested that if workers and managers frequently hold worker meetings to lead the company together, and if the company treats its workers appropriately, fostering loyalty and a sense of ownership, the company can develop further without conflict. I also advised on twelve important considerations when hiring new employees and the promotion of the semiconductor business as a promising future industry. The chairman trusted my words and applied them, achieving excellent results, and I gained even greater trust from my foster father.

To foster world-class companies and for Korea to develop, it must first be economically prosperous. In a country like ours, which is different from others, talent education and advanced technology are crucial for economic development. And above all, businesses, one of the important actors in the economy, must thrive. I diligently served my foster father, Chairman Lee Byung-chul, and gradually became involved in corporate management. I believed that for a company to succeed, the management capabilities and mindset of the manager are important, but the key is for managers and workers to harmonize and work together for the company’s success.

Therefore, I thought it would be better to use the term “worker” “근로자”, which has a more elevated feel, instead of “laborer” “노동자”, a term with extreme connotations originating from communism, and to lower the status of “manager” “경영자” to “administrator” “관리자” to reduce the perceived gap between them. I also believed it was important to treat workers well, so they would develop a sense of community and ownership, comprehension that if the company prospers, they too will prosper. Furthermore, I thought it was necessary for these workers and administrators to frequently hold meetings as common owners to discuss company matters and explore ways to develop the company.

These ideas of mine remain unchanged today as a way to develop our nation’s economy by advancing its businesses. I disagree with the argument, made by some, that labor unions are absolutely necessary in companies. Labor unions are a historical product born from the dark shadows of the Industrial Revolution. If those dark shadows are eliminated, there is no need for labor unions. Labor-management conflict consumes much energy and time, serving only as an impediment to corporate development. Even without labor unions, workers can work in sufficiently good environments and live well without any economic difficulties.

By forming a corporate family council with worker representatives and management, and unifying the dichotomy of “worker” and “manager” into “corporate family” unnecessary labor-management conflicts can be completely eliminated.

12. The Essence of Effective Governance

In Korea, due to a flawed education system, academic background itself is sometimes an object of awe and respect. As a result, politicians often flaunt their academic credentials. They boast about studying at a domestic university or abroad. But is academic background truly an important qualification for high-ranking officials and politicians who must care for people’s lives and solve political and economic challenges in difficult times? Wouldn’t a practical expert, who has personally experienced the lives of the common people in difficult times and faced the challenges of corporate management, be a more suitable leader to formulate and implement policies? it is true that someone with some education has an advantage over someone without. However, someone who has only studied at a desk without any field experience in the overall situation will inevitably have limitations in creating laws or making and implementing important policies.

Real-world politics is not possible with political convictions and plausible political and economic theories put forth by foreign scholars alone. It requires field experience and an comprehension of the field. The economic realities of the people affected by policies can also be learned in the field. A lack of practical sense leads to errors in policy formulation and, consequently, misgovernance. Therefore, those who formulate policies must not only be experts but also listen to the diverse voices of businesses and citizens who are the targets of the policies, and they must personally visit the field.

When making policy decisions, one must not lean to one side. While the rich-poor gap must be addressed, it is problematic to implement drastic or coercive policies that treat the wealthy as criminals. If the minimum wage is raised to increase workers’ income, the employment burden on small and medium-sized businesses and self-employed individuals increases, ultimately leading to worker layoffs and higher unemployment. Policies that are solely focused on regulation of businesses not only stifle their international activities but also dampen economic vitality. There is also a risk of businesses moving overseas. One should not only favor labor unions, nor should one only consider the employers’ perspective.

Although the government has introduced various regulatory policies to stabilize housing prices, they have ultimately led to results completely opposite to the intended goals. Formulating and implementing policies is a process of solving such difficult and complex problems, and it is not easy to implement effective policies based solely on theoretical knowledge. It cannot be achieved by academic background alone. Rather, practical sense, insight to grasp the whole picture, analytical skills, and problem-solving abilities, including creativity, are more important.

Recently, with the passing of Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, the issue of Samsung’s inheritance tax became a hot topic. An astronomical amount of approximately 11 trillion won in inheritance tax was imposed. There have been movements in various places to “save Samsung” and abolish the inheritance tax. This is due to concerns that the largest shareholder might change due to the inheritance tax, and Korea’s representative company could fall into foreign hands. Many citizens responded and participated in the movement to abolish the inheritance tax.

However, a considerable number of people also hold negative sentiments towards Samsung. They argue that the inheritance tax should be collected to keep Samsung in check and prevent Korea from becoming a “Samsung Republic” or express dislike for hereditary conglomerates. Some even suggest that breaking up Samsung into many smaller companies would benefit the country in terms of balanced development. I apprehend these sentiments of the public. I believe they are expressed because citizens suffer from relative deprivation amidst extreme wealth disparity.

However, such thinking is very concerning. Because the inheritance tax has been left unchecked, there are few old companies in Korea. This is because businesses either closed down or were sold to overseas private equity funds and moved abroad. Unidus, Three Seven, and Woongjin all met such a fate. Korea’s inheritance tax rate is a maximum of 50%, with an additional 20% surcharge applied to the largest shareholder. In Japan, although the inheritance tax rate is high, if a child inherits the family business, the inheritance tax is exempted, so there are many old companies that have maintained their original business. When IKEA, a multinational corporation, tried to avoid inheritance tax by having its founder’s grandson take over, the inheritance tax was immediately abolished.

If a company moves its headquarters overseas, the taxes that would have come into the country go to the country where the headquarters is located. This is a considerable loss for the nation. Samsung accounts for a significant portion of domestic tax revenue. Samsung grew by prioritizing the domestic market in its early and middle stages, but by developing the semiconductor industry and focusing on exports, it became a global company that earns dollars overseas, playing a dedicated role in the national economy. The proportion of money earned overseas through exports is much higher than that earned domestically. It earns money from various parts of the world and pays taxes in Korea.

The Samsung brand is known worldwide as a representative brand of the Republic of Korea. Samsung elevates our national prestige and image. It is natural that the national economic scale grows and tax revenues increase. The taxes paid by Samsung may be helping someone’s family and empowering someone in need. Building a systematic enterprise is not something that happens overnight, nor is it an easy task. Many countries provide enormous support to foster their companies into global enterprises. From a national perspective, having global enterprises brings various benefits.

Some argue that companies should be led by professional managers, and that hereditary management is not good, but I find it difficult to agree with that view. Children who inherit management rights from their parents can work with a much stronger sense of mission, responsibility, and ownership than professional managers. Professional managers, being salaried employees, inevitably have a weaker sense of ownership. There is no need to feel aversion to the concept of “heredity.” Frankly, it is human nature to want to pass on to one’s descendants a business, no matter how small, that one has diligently built through hard work. Disregarding human emotions, whether the scale is large or small, is not a desirable attitude.

We must cultivate a broad mind that can applaud the success of others. It is the way of the world that when one works with such a mindset, one’s own endeavors also prosper. The fact that Samsung, a company that makes a significant contribution to national economic development, is facing a crisis due to astronomical inheritance tax, must be considered coolly by the national economy. We must not make the mistake of being penny-wise and pound-foolish. We must not forget that by coveting 10 trillion won in inheritance tax, we could lose Samsung, a global company, to another country. I believe that the inheritance tax, which risks our indigenous companies being encroached upon by foreign capital and losing ownership, should be abolished as soon as possible.

13. The Encounter with President Park chung hee

The serene and luminous eyes: The meeting with President Park chung hee. The evening of May 15, 1969. This day remains vividly in my memory, unforgettable even now. This is because it was the first time I met a national leader with my foster father, Chairman Lee Byung-chul. At the same time, everything I had studied over the years began to be applied to national governance, and it was the day my ideology, philosophy, and convictions took flight into the world.

As my foster father and I entered the hall, President Park chung hee walked a few steps out of the room to greet us. After exchanging greetings, my foster father introduced me, explaining how he met me, adopted me as his foster son, and how I had greatly assisted his corporate management with my advice.

“The day I first met this child, my wife and I were about to go out. The driver had brought the car, and we were just about to get in. Suddenly, this child rushed through the open gate. He said he was a university student and had to sell all his shoes to go to school, and he desperately asked for some time to study. He said, ‘I will definitely repay your kindness.’ At that moment, I was completely captivated by his eyes. I had never seen such serene and luminous eyes in my life. It was as if I was overwhelmed by an irresistible force.”My foster father continued, “Moreover, as I conversed with him, I found that this child, who had mastered Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity, and the I Ching, had no limitations. He had a profound comprehension of the principles of astronomy, geography, and the harmony of heaven and earth, and his excellent foresight into the future had never been wrong. You could say he is the best in the country regarding domestic and international affairs. This child, who voluntarily set out alone, is like a person driving on asphalt..”

“Despite having experienced much hardship from a young age, he has no dark shadows and appears serene, as if he has comprehended all of life. I don’t know how strong my heart becomes whenever I see him. But recently, seeing your anguish, I thought I should introduce him to you.” The President, who had been nodding and looking surprised at my foster father’s words, asked, “Did you say this child also deciphers international affairs well?” ” Your Excellency. Please ask this child directly about the geopolitical situation around Korea.”

14. Becoming a Policy Advisor to the President

I became a policy advisor to the President. The President began to speak to me. “Listening to Chairman Lee, I find him trustworthy. I am currently facing many domestic and international difficulties. The opposition party and the United States are trying to undermine me by advocating for human rights. Even when I try to work wholeheartedly for our impoverished people, too many people try to obstruct me. Sometimes I worry about how long I can continue to set goals and work. for the sake of the nation, I decided to have a frank conversation with you and your foster father today.

“Freeing the people from poverty is the guarantee of human rights and the first step towards democracy. But when I see the opposition party’s argument that abandoning the economy and simply following American-style democracy is the best, I truly worry about the nation’s future. If the nation’s economy is strengthened through Korean-style democracy, a middle class will emerge, and with a large middle class, the level of education will rise, and democracy will naturally be achieved. American democracy cannot be learned merely through words, and it cannot be obtained without economic growth, can it? Opposition politicians may clamor for Western-style democracy, but that is merely a pretext to seize power. Do they think they can implement Western-style democracy if they gain power? Ultimately, corruption and malfeasance will ruin the nation. We need Korean-style democracy. My conviction is ‘economy first, then democracy.’ Mr. Huh, what do you think of my idea?”

“Your Excellency, with your countless experiences of poverty, organizational management, and practical experience in human relations, you are a teacher to me. However, I will offer a few words from my innate wisdom. Even if Your Excellency is criticized as a dictator today, you must strongly pursue economic development to eradicate poverty from this land, increase gross national product, and raise the level of education. There is a saying, ‘천하 뒤 9명, 엉 국 만세 명’ “If you seek profit, do business that benefits all; if you seek fame, seek a name that lasts for ten thousand generations”. Even if you are criticized by both the ruling and opposition parties right now, if it is a matter that brings great benefit to all our impoverished people, then gladly endure the criticism. One day, poverty will be overcome, and all citizens will live well. Even if you are called a dictator, you will gain trust, and your name will last for ten thousand generations.”

I continued, “Do not be disheartened in the slightest by internal and external conflicts. Your Excellency is already destined to ride on the back of a dragon. Having mounted the dragon, which represents the high ideal of saving the people from poverty, if you dismount, you will die. It is the destiny of a rider not to give up before the dragon reaches its destination.”

Beginning with this conversation, at the young age of 20, I had many discussions with the nation’s top leader on domestic and international issues. The President frequently summoned me for consultations, and I diligently assisted him. In other words, I was a confidential policy advisor who listened to President Park chung hee’s concerns and offered solutions from the shadows. This continued until President Park chung hee’s death. During that time, I was instrumental in planning and implementing the Saemaul Undong “New Community Movement”, as well as over 100 other policies, including the broadcasting and communication education system and the acquisition of a Korean missile base in the Soviet Union. I played a leading role in Korea’s rapid economic growth and the dramatic transformation of rural areas.

Regarding my role as President Park chung hee’s confidential policy advisor, there are records of testimonies from Cha Ji-chul, who was the Senior Presidential Secretary for Security at the time, and from the late lawyer Yong Tae-young in court. Lawyer Yong Tae-young is a famous lawyer who sued the state and made Buddha’s Birthday a public holiday. At that time, his house was next to the Blue House, and its structure extended over the Blue House wall, so he had to commute through the Blue House checkpoint. Cha Ji-chul, then Chief of Presidential Security, disliked this and tried to demolish his house, citing Blue House security issues. President Park chung hee learned of this and instructed me to investigate whether Chief Cha Ji-chul had harassed lawyer Yong Tae-young, so I visited lawyer Yong Tae-young.

A considerable time after President Park chung hee’s death, I published my autobiography in 2000. It detailed my childhood, how I became the foster son of Chairman Lee Byung-chul, how I assisted his corporate management in various ways, and how, through his introduction, I became President Park chung hee’s confidential policy advisor, conversing with the President and recommending many policies that were implemented, including national secrets. This book caused a great sensation at the time.

However, recently, the contents of my autobiography were challenged in court regarding their authenticity. The question was, “How could you have served as President Park chung hee’s confidential policy advisor at such a young age?” At that time, Mrs. Yuk Young-soo voluntarily appeared in court and spoke about a young man who had come to the Blue House on an errand regarding her house. She testified, “That young man was Huh kyung young, and it seemed he had more of the President’s trust than Chief Secretary Cha Ji-chul.” This is the content of that very court testimony.

15. Attending the Presidential Inauguration Celebration

Attending the Presidential Inauguration Celebration. This is a story from much later, but there is something I want to clarify here regarding the court testimony. On January 16, 2001, as the then-president of the Democratic Republican Party, I received a call from the acting US Ambassador. I received a same-day visa and plane ticket and flew to the United States on January 17 via Korean Air. On January 18, I attended the Presidential Inauguration Dance Party in Washington, and on January 21, I also attended the inauguration ceremony.

The inauguration celebration parties were held at three locations. Among them, the candlelight dinner at Union Station was an exclusive party, inviting only 250 famous people from around the world. I was the only Korean politician invited. President and Mrs. Bush and Vice President and Mrs. Cheney also attended. Even then, and certainly now, some of our citizens might find this hard to believe. Most Koreans are unaware that I served as President Park chung hee’s confidential policy advisor, but US intelligence agencies were already well aware of this fact and also knew that I possessed an extraordinary intellect.

At that time, President Bush’s office asked for my opinion on how to deal with North Korea’s nuclear program. I advised that the CVID “Complete, Verifiable, Irreversible Dismantlement” approach the US intended to use would be difficult for North Korea to accept, and that the ID “Irreversible Dismantlement” approach would yield results. CVID stands for ‘Complete, Verifiable, Irreversible Dismantlement,’ meaning the US directly removes North Korea’s nuclear weapons completely, verifiably, and irreversibly. FVID stands for ‘Fully, Verifiable, Irreversible Dismantlement,’ meaning North Korea directly dismantles its nuclear weapons fully, verifiably, and irreversibly.

Thus, my attendance at the Bush party was an undeniable fact. However, in court, the prosecution argued that my claim of attending President George W. Bush’s inauguration celebration party was a lie. The gist of the prosecution’s indictment was that I had never been invited by Bush and had never attended the party. They claimed that the photo of Bush and me standing side-by-side, submitted as evidence by our side, was a composite. the photo with Bush was an edited photo. However, it was not edited by me, but by a Korean broadcasting company in the US to broadcast the fact that I had attended President Bush’s inauguration celebration party on the first day.

Despite submitting many other photos and pieces of evidence that could confirm my attendance, only one edited photo was accepted as evidence, placing me in a situation where I would be branded a notorious braggart and liar. At that time, I was planning to run for the National Assembly in Jongno. There was even a term “Huh kyung young Syndrome” indicating my peak popularity. When I was arrested, Baek Seong-hak, a long-time friend of Bush and chairman of Youngan Hat Co., Ltd. and Gyeongin Broadcasting, testified on my behalf. Chairman Baek Seong-hak was the person who sat next to me on the plane when I flew to the US after being invited by Bush, and he personally witnessed my attendance at the celebration party. Chairman Baek Seong-hak’s testimony is recorded in the August 2008 issue of Shindonga and in court records. I sincerely thank those who testified on my behalf in court at that time, using this platform.

16. The Genesis of the Saemaul Undong

Speaking of the Saemaul Undong. I believe few would deny that the Saemaul Undong “New Community Movement” dramatically transformed Korea’s rural areas and was a driving force in the nation’s development. It was undoubtedly one of the great achievements of the late President Park chung hee, brought about by his determination and drive. However, few people know that I was the first to propose the idea for this Saemaul Undong.

I saw a photograph of the Gyeongbu Expressway after its completion, a smoothly paved highway. However, the houses in the surrounding villages appeared old and shabby, which caught my eye. A thought suddenly struck me: it would be wonderful to initiate a movement to revitalize the villages. after several days of contemplation, I devised a plan. And I personally proposed my idea to the President. He slapped his knee, exclaiming, “How did you come up with such an idea?” and told me to research it. I replied that I already had something in mind.

“It’s a movement where villages compete with each other, and I’ve named it ‘Shincheonji’ “New Heaven and Earth” or ‘Shin Maeul Undong’ “New Village Movement”.” “Saemaul Undong, that’s a good name. what kind of movement is the Saemaul Undong?” “It’s a movement to gather national energy. Currently, there’s the 4-H movement for Head, Hands, Heart, and Health, but that’s like a gambling movement. Too many people in rural areas are just gambling and idling. The Saemaul Shincheon Movement is a movement to gather the strength of our people to change villages and change the country.”

“Methodologically, the people provide labor, and the state provides materials free of charge, making villages compete with each other. Welfare is like the Cheollima Movement, but it lacks competition and thus fails. A dead fish floats downstream with the current, but a living fish swims upstream. Just as a living fish constantly wags its tail and leaps to a better environment, we must motivate our people to change old houses into new ones, revitalize the village environment, and transform the old mindset of idleness and gambling into a new spirit. Therefore, I have set self-reliance, diligence, and cooperation as the three core spirits of the Saemaul Undong.”

“The three core spirits contain six characters for ‘work’ “일”, which is also the character for ‘power’ “힘 역”, and one character for ‘ten’ “십자가”. This means working diligently for six days and resting for one. The six characters for ‘power’ assert the energy and strength of the Saemaul spirit.” I continued, “Growth-oriented, welfare-oriented, two-sided, and totalitarianism are the four ideologies of the Saemaul Undong. And building a good place to live, a rewarding workplace, a healthy society, and a lovely country are the four goals. Also, the Saemaul Undong must temporarily hide the aspects that people dislike, such as ‘도 “Way”‘ and ‘민 “民”‘, and prioritize industrialization to succeed.”

The President, unable to hide his joy, said, “That’s truly excellent! But where did you get the idea for the name?” “There are many sources. My experience as a farmhand in my youth, Western pragmatism, Adam Smith’s theory of national wealth, Marx’s theory of capital, and the principle of neutrality in Christianity—I drew from the principles of both East and West. And our traditional philosophies, such as the doctrine of the mean in Confucianism, the Middle Way in Buddhism, and the philosophy of harmony in Taoism, symbolize the village and heaven. I blended Eastern and Western concepts.”

Thus, in a short time, my idea was adopted as a national policy. The Saemaul Undong began. When villagers provided labor, the state provided cement for free, igniting fierce competition among villages. Villages that did not work received no cement, so everyone enthusiastically participated in the movement. From repairing house roofs, roads, and rivers to livestock feed, the Saemaul Undong awakened the dormant rural areas and the national spirit, transforming themselves and their environment.

As our Saemaul Undong achieved great success, China even imitated our movement by establishing ‘도공양산’ “hiding communism and fostering industry” and ‘독왕양회’ “hiding communism and fostering capitalism”, and from there, the global village movement began to spread worldwide. Since then, the Saemaul Undong has not only been studied by developing countries around the world, but it has also been evaluated by the UN and the World Bank as an ideal model for poverty eradication. I apprehend that requests for sharing Saemaul Undong experiences continue to come from developing countries around the world even today.

This concludes Chapter 3. Tomorrow, we will cover Chapter 4, “Beyond Chaos and Despair.” that’s all for today. This is not a live broadcast; I tried to do it once before, but the audio was cut off, so I’m doing it again. It takes about five or six hours to record and upload this, so I tried to do it in one go, but today I had to do it twice. I saw some people joined the live broadcast earlier; thank you very much. I will see you every day. I hope you found your personal time beneficial today. You all worked hard, and I wish you a good time.

Vocabulary

• 난세의 영웅: Hero of a Troubled Era
• 고통으로 단련된 시기: A Period Forged in Suffering
• 대봉: Great Phoenix “symbolizing rebirth and prosperity”
• 담금질: Tempering “a process of strengthening through hardship”
• 구사일생: Narrow Escape from Death “literally, “nine deaths, one life””
• 복막염: Peritonitis “inflammation of the peritoneum”
• 주경야독: Study by Day and Night “diligence in learning”
• 사자성어: Four-Character Idiom “a type of proverb in East Asian languages”
• 백년대계: A Plan for a Hundred Years “a long-term vision”
• 무임승차: Fare Evasion “riding without paying”
• 망부석: Mangbuseok “a stone figure of a woman waiting for her husband, symbolizing eternal waiting”
• 중도 사상: Middle Way “Buddhist philosophy”
• 천부적인 지혜: Innate Wisdom “heaven-given wisdom”
• 비선 정책 보좌역: Confidential Policy Advisor “an unofficial, trusted advisor”
• 새마을 운동: Saemaul Undong “New Community Movement, a rural development program in Korea”
• 소탐대실: Penny-wise and Pound-foolish “losing a great deal by being greedy for a small gain”

난세 Ch.4 The Visionary Politics of Huh Kyung-young Beyond Chaos and Despair

The Hero of Chaos, Huh kyung young: Beyond Confusion and Despair

Tags: “Democracy, Theocracy, Political Reform, Economic Justice, Social Issues, National Crisis, Leadership”

1. The Erosion of Democracy and the Rise of Privilege

The current state of the world is marked by rampant injustice, leading to the disappearance of true democracy. The actual power within nations has been seized by a privileged class, leaving the general populace with merely the faded banner of being “the owners.” Faced with the vast chasm of wealth inequality, talented individuals are forced to abandon their aspirations, and the very fabric of society is as precarious as a horn cast into the wind. A revolutionary transformation based on these fundamental issues is the only viable path forward.

Many believe that democracy is the supreme political system, a notion rooted in historical struggles such as the French and American Revolutions, which overthrew systems dominated by kings and aristocrats. These movements established fundamental rights like liberty and equality, leading to the modern comprehension that all citizens are masters of their nation, possessing suffrage and enjoying freedoms. Korea’s modern history is also apprehended as a journey of achieving democracy against authoritarian rule. Scholars often laud the development of democracy as humanity’s greatest achievement. Indeed, abolishing discrimination and affirming the equal rights to liberty, equality, and the pursuit of happiness for all individuals in a feudal, class-based society was profoundly significant.

However, I contend that contemporary democratic politics suffer from substantial flaws. My primary concern is to move beyond a superficial democracy, asserting that all citizens are indeed the true owners of the nation, and realizing this is paramount. My assertion that “the people are shareholders of the national corporation and thus have a right to dividends” is grounded in this principle of popular sovereignty, the very foundation of democracy. It aims to ensure that the people are the actual, not merely nominal, owners of the nation.

Nevertheless, in the realm of politics, democracy possesses a critical vulnerability: it can be manipulated by entrenched powers or subtly engineered by specific factions, transforming what appears to be a democratic system into a political structure serving only a select few.

2. Historical Precedents: The Flaws of Ancient Athenian Democracy

Democracy is not a modern invention. It was practiced approximately 2,500 years ago in the Greek city-state of Athens. it was not as inclusive as today’s democracy, where all individuals, regardless of status or gender, possess equal rights. Athenian slaves, far outnumbering free citizens, were not considered citizens, and women lacked suffrage. Only about 20,000 male free citizens out of a population of roughly 100,000 held voting rights. Furthermore, it was a direct democracy, where free citizens gathered to make political decisions directly, rather than the indirect democracy of today, where elected representatives make decisions on behalf of the people.

However, ancient Athenian democracy had serious problems. To persuade others and implement one’s views, rhetorical skill was essential. This led to the rise of Sophists, who were skilled debaters and taught the art of winning arguments. Consequently, absolute values or truth became secondary; those who were adept at eloquent speech could achieve political success. This often resulted in ochlocracy, or mob rule, where citizens were swayed by the speeches of such individuals. This form of mob rule was essentially a politics of demagoguery.

This is why Socrates, who assertd the existence of universal truth, clashed with the Sophists, and his disciple Plato advocated for philosopher-kings. Socrates famously questioned whether a leader should be chosen by vote rather than by their wisdom, a stance that ultimately led to his death. Athens, where political decisions were swayed by the shallow rhetoric of power-hungry or self-interested individuals, eventually lost its central position among ancient Greek city-states after being defeated by Sparta in the Peloponnesian War. Thus, Athenian democracy, in one aspect, succumbed to the inevitable flaw of mob rule, which contributed to its downfall. Democracy was destroyed by its own methods.

3. Contemporary Democratic Challenges: Media Manipulation and Electoral Flaws

Is today’s democracy truly different from that of Athens? Certainly, it differs significantly in that it is an indirect democracy, where representatives are elected to govern, and women possess equal suffrage. However, does this mean our contemporary democracy is without problems? I believe that our current representative democracy is fraught with as many issues as ancient Athens’ direct democracy. Just as Athenian democracy suffered from external incitement and the unwise decisions of an unsophisticated populace, our modern exercise of suffrage also faces serious challenges.

In a representative democracy, citizens elect agents—presidents or national assembly members—to reflect their will in politics. However, I believe that parts of the electoral process are far from fair.

3.1. The Influence of Mass Media and Information Control

First, the influence of mass media on elections cannot be overlooked. Today, newspapers, television, and internet portals like Naver, Daum, and Google exert absolute influence by providing information to the public. What they report, from what perspective, and which news stories internet portals choose to highlight, profoundly shapes public opinion and interest. Most people tend to believe what is presented by the media without question. if these media outlets maintained objectivity and fairness, there would be no significant issue.

However, in reality, mass media are often controlled by powerful entities or specific factions. Internet portals can also prioritize certain articles based on the political leanings of their operators. This inevitably leads to serious problems, potentially creating manipulated public opinion. Media outlets can easily disseminate favorable information about candidates or parties with whom they have connections, while publishing malicious reports about others. Unfair and biased reporting can be rampant, directly influencing citizens’ choices.

Many media organizations in Korea exhibit such biased reporting. They inundate the public with an enormous volume of articles and broadcasts about specific candidates from particular parties, even before the official election period, creating the illusion that the media are their campaign workers. Meanwhile, the efforts of minor parties and independent candidates are either ignored or reported negatively, leaving media-reliant citizens unaware of their existence or only perceiving them negatively.

Media outlets also frequently engage in false and distorted reporting. For instance, I met with then-U.S. President Trump on May 5, 2018. Prior to this, I had visited the U.S. at the invitation of Cory Gardner, then a U.S. Senator from Colorado and Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy under the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, attending meetings with many Republican members. At that time, the U.S. was deeply disappointed with South Korea, and there was a growing sentiment to retaliate against North Korea’s nuclear and long-range missile provocations, regardless of South Korea’s stance. They had prepared fighter jets, submarines, and all necessary resources, and I was invited to offer my final thoughts on the North Korean issue.

My meeting with them was facilitated by Lim Cheon-geon, President of the Korea-U.S. Alliance Council. Concerned about the deteriorating Korea-U.S. alliance, some individuals recommended me as the person who could resolve the situation. Through President Lim’s introduction, I met with the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, and subsequently with the U.S. President. During these meetings, I strongly opposed bombing North Korea and advocated for a resolution that would appease North Korea in a manner it could accept.

The fact that I met President Trump is undeniable. Evidence can be found by searching “Huh kyung young Lim Cheon-geon” on YouTube. However, a Korean broadcasting station later aired a false and distorted report, claiming that a photo of President and Mrs. Trump and me was doctored, and that my meeting with President Trump was a lie. This was despite a reporter from that station visiting me days before the broadcast, asking various questions, and seeing the original photo. The broadcast deliberately showed a copied photo, portraying me as a liar.

Such false and distorted reporting by the media creates baseless public opinion, which, when related to candidates, severely impacts elections. This situation is no different from ancient Athenian mob rule; in fact, I believe it is more severe. While Athens saw ambitious individuals sway voters with eloquent but deceptive rhetoric, today, mass media with immense influence and reach intentionally manipulate public choice by promoting or disparaging specific candidates with biased perspectives. This is not unique to Korea; even so-called advanced democracies like the United States are not exempt.

Such media conduct constitutes a form of public incitement. The choices made by an incited public, even if they believe them to be free, are merely the result of manipulation. Their exercise of voting rights, while appearing to be a democratic process of sovereign action, is nothing more than stamping approval on the agenda of the instigators.

3.2. The Perils of Ochlocracy and the Need for Wise Leadership

Ochlocracy, or “democracy by the mob” implies governance by the masses. While some argue that collective intelligence leads to excellent choices, such instances are exceedingly rare. More often, it devolves into mob rule or foolish governance due to incitement or the naivety of the crowd. Thus, whether it is ancient Greek direct democracy or modern representative democracy, the limitations of governance by the masses are clear. Democracy can descend into mob rule, ruining the nation and causing the people to harm themselves.

Just as an airplane requires a pilot with exceptional skill, the political realm, as Socrates and Plato argued, needs a wise form of governance led by philosopher-kings—individuals who apprehend truth and goodness and govern for the benefit of both the nation and its people.

3.3. The Threat of Electoral Fraud

Another serious problem in democratic politics is the potential for electoral fraud. This refers to entrenched political powers attempting to influence elections or commit fraud through cunning schemes to solidify their power and interests. In the past, such fraud was relatively easy to expose, as established powers resorted to simple methods like distributing cash to voters or ballot box tampering. However, with the application of advanced technology in elections, the potential for sophisticated fraud has increased, making it difficult to detect even when it occurs.

While technology in elections offers the advantage of making vote counting and tabulation much easier, its use raises concerns about manipulation, making elections vulnerable to fraud. This is why allegations of electoral fraud persist with every election. Fraud can also occur through loopholes in the electoral system, such as early voting or absentee ballots. It is likely that no system can completely eliminate the suspicion of electoral fraud. The difficulty for political factions to resist the temptation of electoral fraud is an inherent weakness of democracy itself.

3.4. The Flaw of Majority Rule and National Division

The principle of majority rule, a cornerstone of democracy, also has its problems. If, for example, in a presidential election, candidate A wins against candidate B with 51% of the vote to 49%, the 49% of the population who do not support candidate A and their policies may harbor discontent throughout A’s term. If there are clear differences in political beliefs or policies between the two candidates, and these differences significantly influence the outcome, the problem can be very serious, potentially leading to severe national division and social instability. Political retaliation can also occur with every change of government, a phenomenon frequently observed in Korea.

Thus, whether through indirect democracy, where representatives are elected, or direct democracy, where citizens participate directly in political decisions, democracy is an imperfect system prone to problems.

4. The Illusion of Popular Sovereignty and the Need for Economic Justice

In today’s rapidly changing democracy, the basis for citizens to assert and demand their rights lies in the fundamental principle of popular sovereignty. Our constitution also explicitly states that the Republic of Korea is a democratic republic and that sovereignty resides with the people. However, we must question whether our citizens are truly treated as masters. In other words, I believe this is a dead letter, a mere formal provision, an empty shell.

It is naive to think that exercising one’s voting rights during elections constitutes being treated as a master. Some might argue that since the person I voted for governs on my behalf, it is as if I am governing myself, and therefore I am the master. However, I wonder how many citizens truly think this way when they vote. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, if such an exercise of rights is heavily influenced by entrenched powers, media, money, or incitement, it cannot be considered a genuine exercise of rights.

Being the owner of a nation does not merely mean exercising political rights. It means being able to enjoy all rights, including the right to survival, property, equality, claims, and liberty. Economic rights must also be included. This is not just about the right to engage in business or work. If the nation becomes prosperous, its citizens, as owners, should also become prosperous to be properly treated as masters. The right to equality in wealth, and the right for citizens to fairly and equitably share in the wealth generated by the nation, must be fulfilled.

However, in Korea today, while the nation has become wealthy, the majority of its citizens cannot be said to have become prosperous. A small number of people have become immensely wealthy, while the majority of citizens have fallen out of the middle class and are struggling to make ends meet. Given this situation, can we truly say that democracy, where the people are the owners of the nation, is being properly realized in Korea? Is it not rather a democratic nation only in name, an empty shell, while in essence it is a privileged aristocratic state ruled by clever and calculating individuals?

While our citizens are intoxicated with the achievement of having built democracy—the best political system in history—through noble struggles and sacrifices, citing historical events from Magna Carta to the French and American Revolutions, and closer to home, the April 19th Revolution and the June 1987 Democratic Uprising, has not the essence of democracy disappeared somewhere, leaving only an empty shell, a deceptive act of “hanging a sheep’s head and selling dog meat”?

5. The Proposal of Theocracy: A Politics of Benevolence

Towards a beneficial politics, I have long apprehended that this representative democracy is not a political system for the people. This is because representative democracy has too much potential to devolve into a tool used by a privileged few to solidify their vested interests by exploiting the people.

I propose theocracy as a political system to complement this imperfect democracy. Some might be surprised, asking what this means in a secular state, but I ask you to set aside any preconceptions. Please do not imagine theocracy as seen in countries like Iran, where religious leaders are believed to act as proxies for divine will, controlling elected presidents and wielding supreme power.

The theocracy I speak of is a politics of benevolence. Its purpose is to realize a world of beneficial coexistence and mutual prosperity based on love. Benevolence is the order of nature. Plants live by the law of survival of the fittest, and animals by the law of the jungle. We cannot view the survival competition or the law of the jungle among plants and animals as inherently bad. They must live this way, and only then can the ecosystem be maintained. For example, lions in the African savanna must prey on wildebeest calves to prevent their population from growing indefinitely and devastating the savanna. This is the order of nature, the principle of survival bestowed by heaven upon the animal and plant kingdoms. This natural law, gong-ri “benevolence/universal principle”, naturally exists in the human world as well.

However, humans are different from plants and animals. As is well known, humans are the masters of creation, possessing morality and ethics. Therefore, humans are given the law of coexistence and mutual prosperity, not survival competition or the law of the jungle. Humans are meant to live by pursuing coexistence and mutual prosperity. In other words, coexistence and mutual prosperity are the gong-ri of human society. When human life adheres to the principle of coexistence and mutual prosperity, it aligns with the order of nature. Realizing gong-ri is the will of heaven.

Yet, in today’s human world, this gong-ri has receded. Instead of the principle of coexistence and mutual prosperity, human society is dominated by the survival principles of plants and animals: survival competition and the law of the jungle. Furthermore, human society is plagued by endless greed, which animals do not possess, completely undermining the great principle of human survival bestowed by heaven, leading to the disappearance of gong-ri. The mindset of “I only need to live well” and the phenomenon of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer are prime examples of this.

Nothing in the universe exists by chance. The source of all things, the entity that controls and governs the vast universe, truly exists. The orderly movement of countless stars in this vast universe, maintaining a cosmos, cannot possibly be a coincidence. This source of all things, which governs the grand universe, is called “Heaven” or “Cosmic Center” or “God.”

It is inconceivable that Heaven would simply allow gong-ri to disappear from the human world and for humans to lose their true nature. If humanity cannot control itself, divine intervention is inevitable. However, Heaven cannot arbitrarily control humans, who possess free will. The Korean scripture, Chunbu kyung, contains the phrase “Il Myoyeon Man Wang Malrae Yongbyeon Budong Bon” which means that the cosmic essence, the controller of the universe, manifests in countless places within the universe, changing its form endlessly, yet its fundamental nature remains the same. This principle has been ongoing for tens, hundreds of billions of eons.

The content of Chunbu kyung symbolically captures the true secrets of the universe. However, it is not easy for humans to apprehend this content, as humans are designed to think only in a three-dimensional way. Nevertheless, one can vaguely imagine that there is clearly a multi-dimensional system where the cosmic essence can simultaneously multiply into countless forms, become one, or remain at the cosmic center while existing in numerous places.

When the cosmic essence at the center of the universe comes to the human world, some imagine it will appear suddenly in a grand divine form, but this is not the case. With the purpose of transforming the human world, it comes in a human body that can interact with humans, subtly. This is called an incarnation. The incarnation of the essence is Huh. And the politics that this Huh conducts in the human world to realize Heaven’s will—a world of coexistence, mutual prosperity, and benevolence—is theocracy.

Unlike typical theocracies where a divine proxy governs, this is a direct governance by Huh, who is an incarnation of Heaven. It is not a governance by ordinary people easily swayed by material possessions, fame, or desires, but by Huh, who possesses the heart of a parent who might even use a stern rod when their child strays from the right path. This Huh leader cares for all citizens equally, implements policies that ensure a prosperous and free life, and creates a system where humanity can coexist and prosper, thereby realizing gong-ri. This is theocracy.

The realization of theocracy is an astonishing blessing, a singular event in human history, and a catalyst for the exponential advancement of human civilization. It is an immense fortune for humanity that cannot be overstated. If any citizen worries that I might become a fearsome ruler who lords over the people, that is a misconstrual of me and my intentions. I aim to be a leader who guides the people towards happiness and leads Korea and the world towards coexistence and mutual prosperity, not a ruler who dominates the people.

A leader is someone who shows the way and guides, not someone who oppresses people or acts arbitrarily. My statement about sending some politicians to “spiritual education” merely signifies holding them accountable for failing to govern properly for the people, instead exacerbating wealth inequality, neglecting livelihoods, and engaging in political strife, leaving citizens in suffering. It means correcting their mental state through education. This education involves attending my lectures and taking exams, and they can graduate whenever they demonstrate genuine change.

I have only the heart of a parent, wishing for all my children to thrive, and wanting all citizens to live well and happily. If some children are starving while others are well-fed but neglect their impoverished siblings, what parent’s heart would be at ease? My feelings are exactly like those of such a parent. As anyone who examines my proposals will see, I only wish to alleviate the suffering of the people and ensure that all citizens can live happily.

My fundamental belief is to ensure that all citizens can at least live without worrying about basic necessities, and it would be even better if they could achieve greater prosperity through their own efforts. My vision—to relieve the suffering of those burdened by debt, to ensure that those who have worked hard their entire lives to support their children and contribute to national development can enjoy a comfortable old age without financial worries, and to enable children struggling in the “entrance exam hell” to escape it, build friendships, develop their abilities, and unleash their creativity and talents—is only possible when based on genuine, parental love.

Furthermore, it is only with a warm, loving heart that one can conceive of policies such as the state actively assisting young people in finding employment, providing basic financial support until they are employed, sending gifts and cakes for birthdays, and condolences and funeral wreaths for family losses to comfort citizens and boost morale. It also requires a parental heart to envision promoting organic farming without pesticides and fertilizers to ensure healthy food and clean water on every table, thereby safeguarding public health.

For 30 years, I have been conceiving these solutions with a parental heart, and since then, I have been raising astronomical sums of money and spending it all to run in presidential and general elections, making my ideas known to the public. My various proposals, fundamentally rooted in love for the people, are ultimately aimed at establishing gong-ri in our nation.

Theocracy rectifies the shortcomings of democracy, ensuring that all citizens, not just a privileged few, become the owners of the nation, and realizing a fair, prosperous, free, and mutually beneficial society. This is possible because all citizens can share the nation’s wealth to some extent, becoming middle class, and can freely accumulate more wealth according to their abilities. It also enables the creation of an economic structure that fosters mutual prosperity and further economic development. Therefore, theocracy is not the abolition of democracy but a political system that perfects democracy through democracy itself.

I have named this theocracy’s economic aspect “Jongsanism” which can be described as an economic system that perfects capitalism. It does not abolish capitalism but eliminates the pitfalls of wealth inequality while maintaining and fully utilizing capitalism’s free market system, thereby transforming capitalism into a perfect economic system.

In contrast to mob rule, where the public can be swayed by the schemes of the cunning, leading themselves and the nation into hardship, theocracy is a system where a righteous and benevolent leader guides the nation towards the right path for the happiness of all citizens and the stability and development of the nation, with the people’s support, ensuring everyone is treated as a true owner. And Jongsanism eliminates the shortcomings of capitalism, making it a perfect system. This is the political and economic system I intend to implement in Korea and worldwide.

In essence, the beneficial politics I aim to implement, which can be seen as true democracy—where all citizens, instead of a superficial democracy, enjoy wealth equitably as owners of the nation and are guaranteed a free and happy life—is precisely what I call theocracy.

6. The Imperative for Political Revolution: Reforming the National Assembly

A political revolution is necessary. Members of the Korean National Assembly enjoy numerous privileges, which become strikingly evident when compared to their counterparts in other countries. While they claim to be servants of the people, working for the nation and its citizens, they undeniably benefit from various prerogatives. They have exclusive offices, receive official vehicles, and the operational costs for their offices and vehicle maintenance are all covered by the national treasury. Each National Assembly member can have up to nine aides, including a driver, and their salaries are also state-funded. In 2020, a National Assembly member’s annual income, including various allowances, exceeded 150 million won. This salary is reportedly paid in full even if they do not attend meetings or perform their duties.

National Assembly members also enjoy immunity from prosecution for any statements made in the Assembly and inviolability from arrest during parliamentary sessions without the Assembly’s consent, even if they commit a crime. Furthermore, their train and air travel fares are free, and they can use designated seats. They can even receive political donations, a privilege not extended to the President.

However, National Assembly members in advanced countries like Denmark and Sweden present a starkly different, modest image. Swedish parliamentarians do not have official vehicles or personal secretaries. They do not even have separate parking spaces for themselves; instead, these spaces are allocated for parliamentary staff and individuals with disabilities. While Korea ranks third globally in terms of National Assembly members’ salaries relative to GDP, Sweden is only 24th. Swedish members receive their salaries weekly, and if they are absent during a session, they do not receive pay, adhering to the principle of “no work, no pay.”

In Denmark, members perform their duties almost as a public service. Many Danish parliamentarians commute by bicycle. They work an average of 12 hours a day, with each member supported by two assistants. The “no work, no pay” principle is strictly applied: if they do not attend scheduled meetings, they lose their allowance for that time and their right to speak.

6.1. Reducing the Size and Professionalizing the National Assembly

For over 30 years, I have advocated for reducing the number of National Assembly members to 100 and transforming their positions into unpaid, honorary roles. My stance on this remains unchanged. State funding for their aides’ salaries should be discontinued, and vehicle support and other privileges should be abolished, except for absolutely essential matters. I believe there are plenty of individuals willing to work under these conditions, and these are precisely the people who would serve the nation and its citizens selflessly.

This is not an unrealistic proposal. Making National Assembly members unpaid, honorary positions would attract individuals genuinely committed to serving the nation and its people, and it would save national budget. The number of National Assembly members should also be drastically reduced. I believe 100 members are sufficient, as this number can adequately fulfill the legislative role. There is no need to simply compare with other countries based on population per seat.

Korea’s democracy is a presidential system adopted from the United States. Therefore, it is more rational to compare it with the U.S. Congress. The U.S., with a land area approximately 44 times larger than the Korean Peninsula and a population of about 330 million “over six times ours”, has only 100 senators and about 435 representatives with two-year terms. Yet, there are no reports of the U.S. government not functioning effectively.

However, instead of reducing the number of National Assembly members, some in political circles even argue for increasing it. During recent discussions to reform the electoral system to a mixed-member proportional representation system, some advocated for expanding the total number of parliamentary seats. They argued that at least 330 seats would be unavoidable to ensure that parties receive seats proportional to their vote share. While they did attach a condition of reducing parliamentary privileges to mitigate public resistance, it is apprehended that incumbent regional representatives strongly opposed any reduction in their constituency seats, as it directly affected their interests. Since incumbent regional representatives were unwilling to compromise on issues affecting their interests, the idea of increasing the number of National Assembly members was considered.

If the number of parliamentary seats were increased under the condition of reducing privileges to avoid immediate public backlash, it is questionable whether the public would trust that these reduced privileges would remain so. Just as local council members were initially designated as unpaid honorary positions when local councils were established, only to later become paid positions, there is no guarantee that reduced parliamentary privileges would not revert. Moreover, National Assembly members themselves determine their privileges. This could be nothing more than a deceptive tactic. While the proposal to increase the number of National Assembly members was eventually pushed aside by maintaining the existing total number of seats and switching from a mixed-member proportional system to a semi-mixed-member proportional system, the very emergence of such an idea suggests that the argument for expanding seats could resurface at any opportune moment.

6.2. The Deception of Satellite Parties and Electoral System Manipulation

Speaking of the historical manipulations by the two major parties, I must address their significant wrongdoing concerning the mixed-member proportional representation system. This system aims to allocate total seats proportionally to party vote share, with proportional representation seats awarded after subtracting those won in regional constituencies. The rationale behind this system was to increase the chances of minor party proportional representation candidates being elected, a commendable intention.

However, this was short-lived. Soon, the two major parties revealed their true colors, engaging in partisan disputes that ultimately altered the mixed-member proportional system into a semi-mixed-member proportional system, narrowing the chances for minor party candidates. In the final stages, they went even further, creating “satellite parties”—a phenomenon unprecedented anywhere else—to secure all proportional representation seats for themselves. The election results aligned with their intentions, leaving minor parties frustrated and enraged by their manipulations, but powerless to act.

In fact, I believe satellite parties violate constitutional provisions stating that a party’s purpose, organization, and activities must be democratic and that it must possess the necessary organization to participate in the formation of public political will. The National Election Commission should not have accepted their registration in the first place. However, it appears the National Election Commission merely went through formal review procedures and approved the registration of satellite parties.

Furthermore, it is clear that in the proportional representation nominations of these satellite parties, major parties like the Future United Party and the Democratic Party of Korea deliberately expelled legally selected proportional representation candidates from their main parties and re-admitted them to their satellite parties, allowing them to become proportional representation candidates for the satellite parties. Despite this blatant manipulation, the National Election Commission seemingly found no issues with the nomination results of the satellite parties and allowed their registration, which I believe was unjust.

Moreover, the National Election Commission even provided election subsidies to these satellite parties, the Future Korea Party and the Platform Party. I believe the organization of these satellite parties, their manipulative actions, and the National Election Commission’s tacit approval and permission will be recorded as a deeply shameful episode in Korea’s party and electoral history.

7. The Flaws of Local Autonomy and the Need for Centralized Efficiency

I have long assertd the need to abolish the local autonomy system. Not only do local elections incur enormous national expenses, but the personnel costs for local council members and other officials are also substantial. These are national funds that would not be necessary if the local autonomy system did not exist. Furthermore, local governments’ fierce competition to secure budgets under the guise of regional development has gone too far. Local governments are actively seeking new projects and devising strategies to secure national funds, which is utterly unacceptable.

Citizens who are satisfied when museums or parks are built in their areas, when city or county halls are splendidly constructed, or when subway stations appear near their homes, believing that national or local officials are doing a good job, are taking a short-sighted view. When the state allocates its budget, its priority should not be to build magnificent museums or palatial government buildings, but to stabilize the livelihoods of its citizens. By saving these funds and distributing them equitably to the people, significant assistance can be provided to stabilize the lives of ordinary citizens. This could alleviate the burdens of those struggling to make ends meet and reduce the suffering of those in distress. It could also stimulate consumption, benefit businesses, and become a driving force for a healthy national economy.

In a country like ours, where the quality of life for citizens is among the highest in OECD countries, but household debt is also among the highest, and the birth rate is a persistent problem, pouring national funds into regional development by deliberately seeking new projects is not just wasteful but morally reprehensible. Building museums can wait until citizens’ livelihoods are stable; it will not be too late then. And for now, I believe that with the projects already completed, there is no need for further regional beautification and development.

Another major reason for my regret regarding local autonomy is that Korea’s entire territory is only about the size of one U.S. state. There is no reason why a single central government cannot govern this small land. Some may argue for the necessity of local autonomy under the pretext of balanced regional development, but achieving balanced regional development through local autonomy is merely a pretext. Instead, it can foster excessive inter-regional competition, leading to wasted land and regional self-interest.

The regional self-interest of local governments has caused national setbacks on numerous occasions. It is well known that facilities that must be installed somewhere in the country, but are perceived as undesirable, are rejected by all local governments, putting the central government in a difficult position and even leading to conflicts.

However, at this point, I believe that instead of abolishing the already established local autonomy system, it is also a viable approach to resolve local government issues by focusing on improving budget waste. This would involve abolishing local elections and adopting a system where local government heads are appointed by the President through internal promotion. In addition to this method, if local government heads were appointed through recommendations rather than elections, and local councils were initially honorary, unpaid positions, as they were at their inception, it would save enormous election costs and council members’ salaries.

Furthermore, if local government heads were centrally appointed, it would allow for some control over the regional self-interest of local governments, which currently compete to secure budgets through regional National Assembly members and engage in indiscriminate development. This would prevent unnecessary budget expenditure and promote balanced national development.

8. The Perils of Party Politics: Factionalism and Corruption

Party politics is often described as the lifeblood of modern politics. Definitions state that a political party is an organization formed by individuals with similar political views to gain power and realize their political ideals. The Korean Political Parties Act defines a political party as a voluntary organization of citizens whose purpose is to promote responsible political claims or policies for the benefit of the people and to participate in the formation of public political will by recommending or supporting candidates in public elections.

Based on these definitions, political parties appear to be essential institutions for the people. Perhaps this is why some extol political parties as the “lifeblood of modern politics” or state that “the characteristic of modern politics is the party system” arguing that modern democracy is inconceivable without parties, and that parties serve as a bridge between citizens and government in representative democracy.

However, I assert that this party politics is a major impediment to the development of our politics and a significant cause of politicians neglecting public welfare and becoming corrupt. The political ideal of a party, as stated in the Political Parties Act, is fundamentally to realize the interests of the people. However, “the people” here does not refer to the entire populace but to a specific segment of the population with shared interests. Naturally, this creates a structure where parties with different ideals and interests are bound to clash.

conflict should not always be viewed negatively. If it is constructive conflict that contributes to national development, it should even be encouraged. However, most conflicts involve slandering and criticizing opponents, and as all Koreans know, they are nothing more than a mudslinging battle, dragging in everything imaginable solely to attack the opposition. It is no different from a gang fight, even if actual violence is not involved.

8.1. Abolishing Party Subsidies

Party subsidies must be abolished. As seen in the definition of a party, realizing political ideals is the ultimate goal of a party, and seizing power is merely a means to this end, a practical objective. However, frankly, Korean political parties seem to focus solely on seizing power, neglecting the sacred task of developing policies to realize political ideals based on the lives and welfare of the people. Party politicians appear to be preoccupied with seizing power and partisan interests, seemingly viewing even the public as mere tools to gain votes and power through plausible ideologies and rhetoric.

Political parties should prioritize policy development to realize their political ideals. This is their primary task. They should stake their claim to power on policy development. That is why the state provides subsidies under the guise of policy development. However, I doubt whether our political parties truly prioritize and exert effort in policy development activities. In my view, they only seem to focus on policies when elections are approaching, then hastily develop policies. Consequently, instead of well-thought-out policies for the lives and welfare of the people, they frequently concoct popular policies to win elections or imitate others’ policy ideas, presenting similar ones.

Even if a political party were to fulfill its role properly, I consider it a private organization. Many argue that parties are public organizations, but in my view, they are clearly private interest groups. These parties receive substantial state subsidies for policy development and election expenses. In 2020, the Democratic Party of Korea received a total of 90.7 billion won in party subsidies. Do such parties truly deserve such high levels of state support? I believe each party should procure such funds independently.

Even if we concede that some funding for policy development and election expenses is necessary, I believe there are significant problems with the allocation criteria. While there are many political parties in Korea, the beneficiaries of subsidies are primarily the major parties. This is because the Political Funds Act, which governs the distribution of party subsidies, is structured to favor large parties.

According to the current Political Funds Act’s subsidy allocation criteria, parties with 20 or more National Assembly seats, which can form a negotiating bloc, receive 50% of the total subsidy equally. Parties with 5 to 20 seats receive 10% of the total subsidy. Of the remaining funds, half are distributed based on the number of seats, and the other half based on vote share. This means that most state subsidies are allocated based on the number of seats, inevitably leading to the two major parties monopolizing the subsidies. These criteria make it difficult for new parties, parties without National Assembly members, or parties that did not achieve a certain vote share in previous elections to receive benefits. Such criteria are unfair, preventing the emergence of new parties with entirely different political ideals or new political figures.

It is also necessary to introduce a new political dynamic that can break away from the existing framework of the two major parties, which claim to work for national development and the people, and instead propose and realize new political ideals. However, party subsidies continue to block the emergence of new parties that could bring about such a dynamic.

The same applies to election subsidies, which are paid to parties based on the number of National Assembly seats and the proportion of votes received in previous elections. This money, primarily received by the major parties, can be used for any election-related purpose. Candidates belonging to these major parties conduct their campaigns with these subsidies. However, candidates from new parties, new political figures, or independents must fund all their election expenses themselves. Without considerable financial resources, new political figures find it difficult to even conduct proper campaigns. They may have to forgo hiring campaign workers, producing banners, and even essential deposit payments and public information materials.

Candidates from major parties, however, can mobilize the maximum number of campaign workers allowed by election law, create impressive banners, produce substantial public information materials, and transmit well-crafted promotional messages through agencies without any issues. They face no burden, no matter how much they spend on election expenses, as long as it is within the legal limits.

What is astonishing is that for major party candidates, there are not only election subsidies under the Political Funds Act. The Public Official Election Act also has a system where 100% of election expenses are reimbursed if a candidate achieves 15% or more of the vote, and 50% if they achieve between 10% and 15%. Major party candidates rarely fail to meet the 15% vote share requirement for full reimbursement under the Public Official Election Act. This is because the election law itself is structured to favor their candidates, and media reports and public opinion polls also overwhelmingly favor major party candidates.

Ultimately, major parties and their candidates effectively receive national funds twice: through regular operating subsidies and then again through pre-election subsidies and post-election expense reimbursements. It almost seems as if elections are merely events for major parties to extract money from the state.

Election expenses inevitably influence election outcomes. Spending more on campaigns and promoting effectively allows candidates to better inform voters about themselves and their policies. Party subsidies can only be seen as fueling political stagnation, blocking the emergence of new political figures who genuinely wish to work for the people and the nation, and contributing to the election of major party candidates. Therefore, the payment of party subsidies is tantamount to the state guaranteeing unfair elections. I believe this is unconstitutional. The payment of various subsidies to political parties should be abolished as soon as possible to ensure fair elections and save budget.

8.2. A Nation Where Injustice is the Norm

Some might counter that one can receive party subsidies by electing National Assembly members and increasing vote share. However, chickens come from eggs, and eggs come from chickens. Consider the unfair election laws and election portals I briefly mentioned earlier, in addition to party subsidies. It is almost impossible for new political figures or new parties to even get past the first hurdle. The Political Funds Act, the Public Official Election Act, election portals—everything is structured so that those who have continue to gain, achieving their goals, while those who have not are left with nothing but financial ruin. In other words, it can only be concluded that a structure has been created where only major parties receive subsidies and survive, and only major party candidates can be elected.

TV debates are a golden opportunity for candidates to introduce themselves to the public and promote their policies. However, the current Public Official Election Act restricts who can participate in TV debates. Article 82, Paragraph 2 of the Public Official Election Act, concerning presidential election debates hosted by election broadcasting debate commissions, stipulates the following: “When holding debates as per Paragraphs 1 to 3, each election broadcasting debate commission shall invite candidates falling under any of the following subparagraphs. In this case, candidates invited by the election broadcasting debate commission shall attend the debate unless there is a justifiable reason.”

For presidential elections, this includes:

1. Candidates recommended by parties with five or more members in the National Assembly.
2. Candidates recommended by parties that received 3% or more of the total valid votes nationwide in the immediately preceding presidential election, proportional representation National Assembly election, proportional representation metropolitan/provincial council election, or proportional representation autonomous district/city/county council election.
3. Candidates whose average approval rating, based on public opinion polls conducted and published by media organizations between 31 days before the start of the election period and the day before the start of the election period, as determined by the National Election Commission rules, is 5% or more.

It is fortunate that this provision opens up the possibility for candidates from new parties to participate in TV debates. However, a new political figure must achieve a 5% approval rating in public opinion polls during the 30 days before the election period. For a new political figure, achieving a 5% approval rating is as unlikely as plucking a star from the sky. Why? Because the media, broadcasting, public opinion polling agencies, and election laws all work overwhelmingly against the emergence of new political figures.

Korea’s public broadcasters and major media outlets are the primary contributors to preventing new political figures from gaining public support. Even before the election period begins, media outlets report exclusively on major party candidates day and night. Public broadcasters, including those funded by public viewing fees, and major media outlets faithfully report only on the activities of major party candidates to the public. There is no mention whatsoever of other minor candidates who paid the same deposit to run. Consequently, the public often only knows about major party candidates and is unaware of the candidacy of new party or independent candidates.

The same applies to so-called candidate approval rating surveys conducted by public opinion polling agencies. They arbitrarily survey and announce approval ratings only for some major party candidates. The media then reiterates these findings. with the exception of individuals like myself who consistently enjoy a certain level of public popularity, if new political figures are surveyed, they will not appear in media reports, and thus will not register any approval ratings. Therefore, it seems that media outlets, broadcasters, and public opinion polling agencies are actively blocking the emergence of new political figures. The Public Official Election Act’s provision that candidates with an approval rating of 5% or more can participate in TV debates is nothing more than a superficial formality.

Some might argue that there is also the method of being recommended by a party that obtained 3% of the valid votes in the proportional representation election, as per Article 82, Paragraph 4, Subparagraph 2. However, that is also not an easy task. If a candidate seeks a recommendation from a third party that meets such conditions, they must find a party whose political ideals and platform align with theirs and then negotiate with that party, which is by no means easy. Ultimately, the legal provisions regarding candidate eligibility for TV debates in the Public Official Election Act are tantamount to a threat, telling new political figures that if they do not join an existing party, they should not even think about engaging in politics.

Article 28 of the same law, concerning policy debates hosted by election broadcasting debate commissions, is even more disheartening for new parties. This provision deals with political policy debates where policies can be promoted, but new parties have no avenue to participate at all. The regulation states the following:

“The Central Election Broadcasting Commission shall, from 90 days before the election day for elections due to term expiration until the day before the start of candidate registration, invite representatives or their designated persons from the following parties “excluding parties that have publicly announced their non-participation in the election” to hold policy debates at least once a month:

1. Parties with five or more members in the National Assembly.
2. Parties that received 3% or more of the total valid votes nationwide in the immediately preceding presidential election, proportional representation National Assembly election, or proportional representation metropolitan/provincial council election.”

As such, Korea’s election law effectively blocks new political figures or new parties from participating in broadcast debates, including TV debates, which are crucial opportunities to introduce candidates and their policies. While major party candidates appear on broadcasts multiple times to promote themselves and their policies, candidates from new parties or new political figures can only promote their policies through public television once during the election period, with a mere 10-minute speech or 10-minute debate for minor party candidates. This single 10-minute slot is usually scheduled during times when most people are not watching. Furthermore, they can only promote themselves and their policies through personal campaigning, banners, posters, or social media activities, which are quantitatively and qualitatively inferior to those of candidates who receive election subsidies.

What kind of election results can be expected from such an unfair election? I can only conclude that the party subsidies provided within such an unfair electoral environment—characterized by unfair election laws, biased media reporting, and manipulated public opinion polls—are ultimately intended for established politicians to conduct superficial elections and solidify their vested interests through re-election.

It is common to see cases where party officials are arrested for engaging in “nomination trading” where parties prioritize partisan interests over the public and sell nominations for candidates. In the reality of Korean politics, receiving a nomination from a major party is tantamount to guaranteeing election, and it is rumored in political circles that many are willing to pay money to secure such nominations. Expecting political development in such a political climate and party behavior is like trying to catch fish in a tree. I believe that political parties are the biggest link contributing to the corruption of politicians, rather than political development.

It is not at all unusual for National Assembly members belonging to a party to abandon their campaign promises like old shoes and follow party lines to secure future nominations. If they disregard party lines and voice independent opinions, or act independently against party directives, they immediately face criticism from the party and disqualification for future nominations. In such a situation, praising political parties as a strong bridge connecting the people and the nation is absurd.

8.3. Modern Factionalism and the Two-Party System

Korea’s party politics is no different from the factional struggles of the Joseon Dynasty. In fact, I believe it is even worse. In the past, factional struggles were limited to the upper class, the yangban, but now, due to developed mass media, not only politicians but the entire nation is drawn into the arena of public division, with all citizens embroiled in factional disputes.

It is incorrect to romanticize Joseon Dynasty factionalism by calling it “bungdang politics” and evaluating it positively. the early stages of the Easterners and Westerners could be positively assessed as academic debates. However, as time progressed, factions became more political, eventually dividing into four factions—Noron, Soron, Namin, and Bukin—engaging in bloody political strife. This was not even over meaningful academic topics or proposals to help the nation and its people, but solely driven by a desperate quest for power, tearing at each other over trivial court etiquette and even resorting to murder. How can this be romanticized or given positive meaning by claiming that bungdang politics is similar to Korea’s party politics?

Since Korea’s party politics is not significantly different from Joseon Dynasty factionalism, it would not be wrong to say that Joseon’s factional history is the origin of Korea’s party politics. The supposedly enlightened yangban literati were so engrossed in factional struggles that they cared nothing for the suffering of the common people, even when the nation was in peril. They even reported conflicting accounts to the king after returning from a diplomatic mission to Japan on the same ship, due to their competitive rivalry and animosity. What more needs to be said about the damage caused by factionalism? Ultimately, when Japan learned of Korea’s situation, embroiled in factional struggles, they sent a large army to invade this land as a breakthrough for their own problems. What else could have been the cause but factionalism? Factionalism was the biggest reason for plunging the people into misery and endangering the nation.

Yet, in modern times, with the introduction of democracy from the West, this destructive factionalism has been repackaged as party politics, perpetuating partisan retaliation and even involving the public in the conflict, causing national division. This is truly appalling.

The extreme factionalism in Korea’s party politics is largely attributable to the two-party system. It is commonly believed that the establishment of a two-party system signifies political stability, moving away from the chaos caused by the proliferation of minor parties, and this is generally viewed positively. To some extent, this is true. However, even if political chaos due to minor party proliferation has decreased, this two-party system creates equally serious problems. At least, this is true for current Korean politics.

A two-party system, consisting of conservative and progressive parties, divides the nation, leading to severe fragmentation. This directly contradicts the political goal of achieving national unity. Such national division is a common phenomenon in democratic nations with two-party systems; the United States and Europe are no exceptions. However, in Korea, ideological confrontation is exacerbated by regional sentiment, intensifying national conflict and division under the two-party system. Furthermore, if the ruling party fails, the opposition often takes power next, leading to completely opposing policies, a lack of consistency in national policy, and thus increased budget waste. No government can establish long-term national development plans. Even if a government sets long-term plans, they are discarded overnight when the administration changes.

Moreover, Korea’s two-party political structure has degenerated into a level of tyrannical politics. Former presidents are no sooner out of office than they are subjected to political judgment, enduring public humiliation repeatedly. Consequently, politicians exert all their efforts to maintain power, even if it means currying favor with the public. They are compelled to focus on short-term, showy administrative achievements rather than presenting long-term national development blueprints and establishing realistic alternatives to realize them.

Furthermore, since all positions, from president to National Assembly members, local government heads, and local council members, are elected, the two-party confrontational structure permeates every level, from the central party down to small local units, leading to widespread showy administration and budget waste. All of this is funded by the taxes paid by citizens and businesses.

The two-party system fundamentally blocks new parties or candidates with genuinely new policies or visions from entering politics independently. It is almost impossible to enter politics without joining one of the two major parties. As mentioned earlier, running as a minor party or independent candidate makes it very difficult to gain votes from the public due to Korea’s unfair electoral environment and media reporting practices, unless one has exceptional name recognition.

Especially regarding the two opposing parties, conservative and progressive, the public often feels that even if they dislike both, they fear that the party they dislike more will gain more seats. Therefore, even if people are drawn to a new party, they often vote for one of the two major parties, fearing that their vote for a new party would be a “dead vote” and lead to the victory of the party they dislike more. Thus, the two-party system creates a political structure where it is very difficult for individuals with new political ideas that transcend the ideologies or policies of established parties to enter the political arena and contribute to political development and the nation. This is why new political figures who enter politics with dreams and passion to change society either give up midway or quickly become similar to existing politicians.

If we continue to disregard the problems of the two-party system, nothing but despair awaits Korea. First, a way to mitigate the shortcomings of the two-party system is to ensure fair elections. Fair elections must inject new life into politics and ensure that individuals who genuinely work for the nation and its people are elected. Even if a candidate is not from a major party, all candidates must be treated fairly once they register.

The unfair practice of completely excluding minor party or independent candidates from public opinion polls and media reports, while only surveying or reporting on candidates from established parties, despite all candidates paying the same deposit, must be rectified. The current electoral environment and practices, where everything—candidate number selection, TV debates, public opinion polls, media reporting, pre-election campaigning, and election expenses—favors major party candidates and disadvantages others, must be immediately corrected.

The arbitrary principle of assigning candidate numbers 1 and 2 based on the number of National Assembly members a party has is also unfair. It should be determined by lottery to ensure fairness. All election law provisions that favor major party candidates must be abolished or amended, and the early voting system, which makes it difficult to dispel allegations of electoral fraud, should be eliminated. Only when candidates from minor parties or independents can be elected can the harms of the two-party system be prevented and new life be breathed into politics.

If we allow the harms of the two-party system to persist, it is clear that Korea will be plagued by petty retaliatory politics and endless national conflict and division, making national unity, political development, and further national progress distant dreams.

8.4. The Ultimate Abolition of the Party System

Ultimately, I believe the party system should be abolished so that National Assembly members can work conscientiously, representing their constituents’ will first, rather than party directives or interests. National Assembly members belonging to parties are compelled to follow party directives rather than local interests. Politicians belonging to parties have engaged in political strife with other parties, and there is no hope that this situation will improve. To prevent Korea’s political arena from becoming a battleground, I believe we should abolish parties and have National Assembly members elected as representatives of their constituents and the nation, without party affiliation.

Abolishing parties would eliminate the need for factions and the pretense of ideological banners, thereby preventing national conflict and division. If laws are proposed in the National Assembly for the benefit of the people and local residents, and are enacted after sufficient debate and discussion, the will of the local residents and the people can be directly reflected in the law. This would prevent the distortion and disregard of public will that occurs through the intermediary of political parties. I believe that abolishing parties would lead to the enactment of laws truly for the people and the implementation of policies for the people. By abolishing parties, unnecessary budget waste can be prevented, the saved money can be returned to the people, who are the owners of the nation, national division can be prevented to achieve national unity, and National Assembly members can truly work for the people and local residents.

9. The Looming National Crisis: Demographic Cliff and Societal Ills

9.1. The Demographic Cliff: A Nation on the Brink of Disappearance

I cannot help but feel concerned when I observe Korea and its people today. Despite having become a top-10 economic power, envied by the world, the nation faces a severe crisis that gravely threatens the future of our people.

Korea’s birth rate exceeded 1 million per year in the 1960s. This began to decline in the 1970s due to population control policies, falling to around 700,000 by the mid-1990s and maintaining that level. However, it began to decrease sharply in the 2000s. The population control policies of the 1970s, implemented due to concerns about excessive population growth, were appropriate for their time. However, the problem was that they instilled a national perception that having only one or two children was normal. The IMF crisis in the late 1990s and the subsequent response measures were major causes of the sharp decline in births in the 2000s.

In 1997, facing a national bankruptcy crisis, Korea secured IMF funds to avert disaster. In return, it accepted the IMF’s demands for corporate mergers and acquisitions and severe restructuring, leading to mass unemployment. Young people lost their job prospects, resulting in a socioeconomic situation where their livelihoods were not guaranteed. It became difficult not only to have children but even to marry. Even for those who married, dual-income households became necessary to maintain economic stability, leading to a rapid decline in the birth rate.

From the early 2000s to 2010, over a decade, the annual number of births dropped from the previous 700,000 range to about 460,000, a 65% decrease from the previous level. Even after recovering from the IMF crisis in the mid-2000s, the low birth rate has persisted and intensified recently. This is due to the worsening wealth inequality, youth unemployment, and unresolved issues related to livelihoods, marriage, childcare, and education, which have dampened young people’s desire to marry or have children.

Although the government and local authorities belatedly recognized the severity of the problem and began implementing birth promotion policies, they have yet to achieve significant results. Instead of improvement, the number of births has continued to decline sharply each year. In 2016, it was about 400,000; in 2018, 326,000; in 2019, 312,000; and in 2020, it recorded an all-time low of 275,000, causing great shock. While the impact of COVID-19 in 2020 cannot be ignored, the consistent sharp decline in births and birth rates over the years means it cannot be attributed solely to the pandemic.

Furthermore, the number of births in 2020 was lower than the total number of deaths, which is even more shocking. This marked the first time in Korea’s demographic history that a natural population decrease occurred. Along with the number of births, the birth rate has also continuously fallen. In 2019, it was 0.92%, ranking last among the 37 OECD member countries and being the only one in the 0% range. Last year, in 2020, it hit a new low of 0.84%. A birth rate of 0.84% means that each woman of childbearing age gives birth to 0.84 children in her lifetime. Considering that a couple needs to have at least 2.1 children to maintain the population, anyone can predict that a demographic cliff is imminent.

If the reality of the demographic cliff is left unaddressed, it is obvious that it will lead to severe economic problems in the near future, and anyone can surmise that it will culminate in issues for the elderly of the current young and middle-aged generations, and ultimately, a crisis for national survival and the extinction of the Korean people. It is no exaggeration that global scholars rank South Korea as the number one country most likely to disappear from the face of the Earth.

Despite the continuous decline in births and birth rates to their worst levels, the government and local authorities have poured astronomical budgets into birth policies to address the low birth rate. In 2021, the government’s low birth rate support budget over 10 years totaled 210.95 trillion won. In 2020 alone, it amounted to a staggering 45 trillion won. However, despite spending such astronomical birth budgets, an anomalous situation occurred where 50,000 fewer babies were born annually compared to four years prior. Why did the birth rate fall further despite more money being spent? One cannot help but wonder where all that astronomical money went.

If 45 trillion won were divided by the 275,815 newborns in 2020, it would amount to approximately 163 million won per child. Imagining what situation would unfold if that money were directly given to parents allows one to grasp how misguided Korea’s birth policy direction and methods are.

Politicians and those responsible for leading the nation have a duty to foresee the future by insightfully analyzing social situations with the wisdom of prophets and pioneers, to create laws and establish policies, and to possess the policy implementation capability to find the best methods and achieve optimal results. And above all, I believe they must have a sense of responsibility and mission that genuinely considers the future of the nation and its people.

9.2. A More Fundamental Approach to Childbirth and Rearing

A baby boom needs to occur approximately every 20 years to maintain the population. Since a baby boom occurred in 1958, baby booms should have happened in 1978 and 1998. However, instead of baby booms, there has only been a continuous sharp decline in births. The demographic cliff is inevitable. It seems that politicians and local governments are now scrambling to imitate the national-level birth policies I previously proposed. I do not blame politicians for their arrogance. However, I want to make it clear that merely imitating those policies will not solve the problem.

While providing a significant amount of cash for childbirth might increase the birth rate, local governments with limited budgets find it difficult to sustain such policies. Moreover, the low birth rate issue is not merely a matter of birth rate alone. It is a complex problem resulting from a combination of unemployment, marriage, childcare, an unstable social environment, and public consciousness. Therefore, birth policies must be implemented alongside comprehensive measures that simultaneously address these issues to be effective. Simply offering some money and telling people to have children will not solve the problem.

First, citizens’ incomes must be stable, eliminating worries about livelihoods. Then, conditions for marriage must be established. Only after that should support for childbirth be provided. Furthermore, children must be able to attend school happily, marry, and find employment in a society that makes them unafraid to have children. And a change in consciousness must follow. The amount of support for childbirth should be at least 50 million won; it is questionable whether a few hundred thousand or a few million won would inspire a desire to have children. Those who formulate and implement policies must bear these points in mind and establish effective and sustainable measures.

9.3. Laws and Systems That Must Disappear

I have consistently spoken about the shortcomings of 10 problematic or flawed systems currently existing in Korea. I identify the 10 major “evil laws” that must disappear as the Kim Young-ran Act, the Real Name Financial System, the Constitutional Court, the College Scholastic Ability Test “CSAt” system, inheritance tax, labor unions, the reward and punishment system, prisons, and the conscription system. Currently, Korea is bound by these evil laws and systems, which are ruining the economy, politics, and education, and exacerbating corruption and social conflict.

In particular, the Kim Young-ran Act, the Real Name Financial System, labor unions, and inheritance tax are detrimental to the economy. The official name of the Kim Young-ran Act is the “Act on the Prohibition of Improper Solicitation and Receipt of Money or Goods.” Enacted on March 27, 2015, it is commonly known as the Kim Young-ran Act because it was proposed by then-Chairperson Kim Young-ran of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission in 2012 to establish discipline in public service. Although the original bill aimed to prevent improper receipt of money or goods by public officials, its scope was expanded during the legislative process to include journalists and private school faculty.

While this law has a good intention of eradicating corruption in our society, it excessively rigidifies society and negatively impacts the economy. It is well known that the flower and livestock industries suffered significant blows in the early stages of its implementation. Despite subsequent revisions and debates, which recently raised the gift limit for agricultural and fishery products to 200,000 won, as long as this law exists, even giving congratulatory gifts for promotions or flowers on Teachers’ Day remains a psychological burden for both givers and receivers.

Moreover, corruption cannot truly be prevented by such laws. Bribery can occur discreetly regardless of these laws. Furthermore, by creating a reward and punishment system that punishes both the giver and receiver of a bribe equally, bribery is not deterred; instead, it acts as a safety net, allowing recipients to accept bribes with peace of mind. Improper receipt of money or goods would naturally disappear if the reward and punishment system were abolished and only the recipient of the bribe were punished. This is the way to deal with bribery; the Kim Young-ran Act is not effective. Moreover, the Kim Young-ran Act itself includes a reward and punishment clause. The Kim Young-ran Act, which restricts the receipt of money or goods, only rigidifies society, making it bleak, and stifles the economy by preventing the natural flow of money between individuals. I believe the Kim Young-ran Act and the reward and punishment system should be abolished as soon as possible.

The Real Name Financial System was abruptly implemented on August 12, 1993, by then-President Kim Young-sam’s emergency presidential decree. It prohibited withdrawals from non-real-name accounts, mandated reporting withdrawals of 30 million won or more to the National Tax Service for source investigation, and required conversion of non-real-name accounts to real-name accounts within two months of its implementation. However, even after a considerable period following the decree, the conversion of non-real-name accounts was very low due to depositors’ fear of National Tax Service investigations. Consequently, two supplementary measures were later introduced, with the second measure including a provision that withdrawals of 30 million won or more would not trigger National Tax Service investigations.

As the Real Name Financial System began to falter, a significant amount of capital, including foreign currency, flowed overseas, which became a major problem. From the state’s perspective, the Real Name Financial System broadened the tax base, secured tax revenues, and facilitated tax administration. However, it also led to adverse effects such as capital outflow, soaring real estate prices, bankruptcies of small and medium-sized enterprises, and ultimately contributed to the 1997 IMF crisis, a national bankruptcy.

Money inherently tends to hide underground. A common example is how spouses, even when managing a household together, often hide emergency funds from each other. It is human nature for a father to hide money from his children, intending to use it urgently later. The Real Name Financial System is a system that goes against this human nature. The fact that 50,000-won and 10,000-won banknotes disappear underground as soon as they are issued is not unrelated to the Real Name Financial System. Under this system, money that people want to hide has no choice but to go underground in high-denomination bills or flow out of the country through various means. The discovery of illegal gambling funds in bundles of 50,000-won notes in a garlic field is a real-life example.

If the Real Name Financial System were abolished and the opening of non-real-name accounts were permitted, there would be no reason for money to necessarily circulate in high-denomination bills or flee abroad. Instead, it could circulate actively domestically, contributing to economic revitalization. The Real Name Financial System, which goes against human nature and stifles the economy, should be abolished.

The Constitutional Court is a superfluous institution, an “attic on the roof” that is not needed. Most of the work done by the Constitutional Court can be handled by the Supreme Court. The Constitution should be revised to abolish the Constitutional Court and transfer its powers to the Supreme Court. Maintaining unnecessary institutions or periods is merely a waste of budget.

9.4. Gandhi’s Seven Social Sins and Korea’s Seven Elements of National Ruin

Mahatma Gandhi, the revered Indian politician, identified seven social evils that ruin a nation. Korea, unfortunately, possesses all of them. Based on Gandhi’s seven social evils, I identify Korea’s seven elements of national ruin as: politics without principle, pleasure without conscience, wealth without work, education without character, economy without morality, religion without sacrifice, and science without humanity.

The first element of national ruin is politics without principle. Korean politics lacks principles. The National Assembly resembles a chaotic marketplace. It is full of inconsistent, partisan politics driven by self-interest and calculations, with no firm convictions. Their partisan interests cannot serve as a principle. The principle of politics I speak of is not their self-interest or partisan interests, but the fundamental purpose of politics: public welfare and coexistence and mutual prosperity. It means establishing the political goal of ensuring all citizens can live well for the sake of the nation and its people as a principle.

Global politics also lacks principles. Each country, like the constant fine dust from China, thinks only of itself. The principle of living together with other nations, the principle of coexistence and mutual prosperity, must be established. The entire world must set coexistence and mutual prosperity for humanity as its grand principle, and each nation must govern under this grand principle. Otherwise, if each country only pursues its own interests, the world will become a battlefield, and the global environment could be irreversibly destroyed.

The second element of national ruin is pleasure without conscience. Here, the target is the public. Although Korea has become prosperous and its social welfare system has established a certain level of social safety net, many citizens still worry about their livelihoods, and many are burdened by debt. The Songpa three-mother-daughter incident, where a family chose suicide after being overlooked for basic living support despite their desperate situation, is still vivid in our memories.

Considering that countless people are starving somewhere on Earth, and refugees are dying adrift in the vast ocean with nowhere to go, one cannot indulge in extravagant pleasures, spending millions of won on food and drink in a single night, or traveling the world in luxury yachts, simply because one has money. If one travels the world, visiting places where people live in hardship to offer warmth, or if one plays golf but also dedicates time to serving unfortunate neighbors, then that person at least has a conscience.

The third element of national ruin is wealth without work. Acquiring wealth through the corruption of politicians and public officials, easily making money by colluding with those in power, and real estate speculation by the wealthy are prime examples of wealth without work. However, the get-rich-quick mentality, seeking wealth without effort, is rampant not only among the elite and wealthy but throughout our entire society. Gambling, excessive lottery purchases, and speculative stock trading or Bitcoin investments that go beyond sound investment are also related to this mentality.

If a get-rich-quick mentality, where people seek to make large sums of money easily rather than through diligent work, becomes widespread, it can lead to serious social problems. This is because it means many people will lose money and fall into despair, and diligent, hardworking people will lose their motivation to work and may even join the get-rich-quick trend, causing the entire society to become sick.

The fourth element of national ruin is education without character. Korea’s education can be considered a complete failure. In that regard, those who planned and implemented education policies would have no excuse for any reprimand they receive. They have ruined the character of children and are ruining the future of the nation. In the endless competition of the “entrance exam hell” children learn that they must step on others to survive, becoming individuals who lack consideration and care only for themselves when they enter society. It is now a common sight for young people on subways or buses to look down, ignoring elderly people standing right in front of them.

Home education is also in disarray. It has become a world where parents scold teachers for merely saying a word to their child. In such a world, ancient texts would describe it as “eon-eo-do-dan” meaning that words, writing, and the Way have been severed, and morality has disappeared.

The fifth element of national ruin is economy without morality. Economy refers to the activities of producing, distributing, and consuming goods and services necessary for society. Morality and fair rules must be applied and upheld in production, pricing, distribution, and allocation. However, in our society, immoral practices in the production process, such as the use of illegal raw materials, manipulation and concealment of product specifications, and discharge of waste, are common. Unfair and immoral acts in pricing and distribution, such as corporate collusion or insider trading, also frequently occur.

It goes without saying that extreme wealth inequality has resulted from the capitalist mode of distribution based on meritocracy. Extreme wealth disparity must be addressed by the state to restore fairness. Becoming wealthy is possible because many people help. They provide labor, consume, and sometimes, as seen in “chicken games” everyone becomes a sacrifice. A certain portion must be returned to the state and society, so that those who are less fortunate also receive a share, reducing wealth inequality. However, in our society, the entire system revolves around the privileged class, and wealth inequality is growing day by day, with justice having been lost long ago.

The sixth element of national ruin is religion without sacrifice. The true essence of religion is to sacrifice and serve society. While each religion has different teachings and beliefs, the fundamental core of their teachings is to care for neighbors, give 100% to others, and live in mutual love. However, contemporary religions seem to focus more on expanding their influence and external appearance than on practicing these teachings. While many religious leaders live simple lives of sacrifice and service amidst difficulties, it cannot be denied that some religious organizations treat religion as a business, engaging in profit-making. This is a departure from the true essence of religion.

We should reflect on Jesus’ words in the Bible: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” In Buddhism, there is also a story of Manjusri Bodhisattva appearing as a leper in worn clothes to test devotees. Caring for the poor and sick, and comforting those in need in the hidden corners of society, is the foremost duty of religion. A religion that has lost its inherent role of sacrifice and service has already lost its reason for existence.

The seventh element of national ruin is science without humanity. It is well known that the development of science and technology without considering the environment harms not only one nation but the entire world and humanity, sickening the Earth. Polluted air, soil, and water resulting from the use of science and technology without environmental consideration return to humans as a disaster. Environmental pollution is not a problem that can be contained within one region or one country. Water and air circulate throughout the entire globe. We must remember that science without humanity is not only ruinous for a nation but also affects neighboring countries and the entire world, potentially destroying the Earth itself.

10. The Peril of Constitutional Amendment for a Cabinet System

10.1. The Cabinet System: A Scheme to Consolidate Political Power

Finally, we must absolutely avoid a constitutional amendment for a cabinet system. The talk of amending the constitution to a cabinet system frequently emerges from political circles. The intention behind changing the constitution from a presidential system to a parliamentary cabinet system is transparent. The very fact that politicians are still discussing “imperial presidency” and “power sharing” while they should be focusing all their efforts on creating laws and developing policies to address and resolve the people’s livelihood issues, demonstrates that their sole interest lies in solidifying their vested interests and expanding and maintaining their power.

I cannot help but conclude that they intend to amend the constitution to a cabinet system so that the National Assembly, as the legislative body, can seize administrative power, govern the nation as they please, and maintain that power for a long time. In my view, the power of the legislative branch already overwhelms the executive branch. When the President appoints someone, the National Assembly’s confirmation hearing process, under the pretext of vetting the candidate, severely undermines the authority of the appointing power. If the opposition party holds a majority in the National Assembly, passing a bill proposed by the President is as difficult as plucking a star from the sky.

How can this be an “imperial presidency”? It is an imperial National Assembly. Nevertheless, the attempt to push for a cabinet system amendment under the guise of preventing the dictatorship of an “imperial president” can only be seen as a manifestation of politicians’ collective lust for power.

10.2. The Imperial National Assembly, Not the Imperial Presidency

It is the Imperial National Assembly, not the Imperial Presidency. I believe that the head of the executive branch, whether the President or the Prime Minister, should be able to appoint whomever they wish without procedures like National Assembly confirmation hearings. This is because in a presidential system, the President is responsible for national affairs. It is illogical for the President to be unable to properly appoint the ministers they wish to employ and then be held solely responsible for any problems in national governance.

Some may argue that the National Assembly’s vetting of government officials is a natural duty of the legislative branch to check the executive. However, I believe it is an overreach that goes beyond mere checks and balances. It appears to be an attempt to obstruct the President’s initiatives. This situation should be viewed as a concentration of power due to the legislative branch’s dominance, deviating from the purpose of separation of powers.

One might say that it doesn’t matter if the President appoints someone even if the National Assembly opposes it. However, during the National Assembly confirmation hearing process, candidates and even their families are thoroughly scrutinized and often completely disgraced under the pretext of questioning their morality. Even if appointed, this negatively impacts their image and, in effect, the prestige of the appointing authority, the President. Furthermore, suitable candidates often decline the President’s offer to avoid such humiliation.

Given that a system has been created where the President cannot even appoint a single minister due to excessive interference from the National Assembly, it is truly absurd to now advocate for a constitutional amendment to a parliamentary cabinet system under the pretext of an “imperial presidency.” Anyone can see that the term “imperial” applies to the National Assembly, not the President.

10.3. The Unsuitability of the Cabinet System for Korea

The cabinet system, which should not be implemented in Korea, can be found in the United Kingdom. After Henry VIII of the Stuart dynasty, George I of the Hanover dynasty, rooted in Germany, ascended to the throne. As he could not speak English, he entrusted the governance to the cabinet, establishing the principle that the monarch reigns but does not rule. Consequently, the cabinet could not effectively govern without aligning with the dominant party in parliament, leading to the emergence of the parliamentary cabinet system.

I believe that attempting to introduce this parliamentary cabinet system, which arose from such a historical background, into Korea—a country with a President who can form a cabinet and lead the nation without any problems—is merely a manifestation of politicians’ selfish desires.

We have already experienced implementing a parliamentary cabinet system. At the time of President Syngman Rhee’s resignation due to electoral fraud, a law was enacted to establish a bicameral legislature, consisting of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors “equivalent to today’s National Assembly”, and to elect the President and Prime Minister through a joint session of these two houses to form a cabinet. In other words, it was a parliamentary cabinet system where the National Assembly elected the President and Prime Minister to form a cabinet. At that time, the President was designated as the head of state and a symbolic representative of the nation, while administrative power was concentrated in the Prime Minister elected by the House of Representatives. Thus, the joint session of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors elected the President and Prime Minister to form the cabinet. However, we are well aware of how chaotic the nation was at that time.

Korea is a divided nation with constant security anxieties. Surrounding Korea are North Korea and Russia to the north, the United States and China to the east and west, and Japan to the east, which can also pose a threat. Therefore, Korea needs a system that can lead the nation with strong leadership. In my view, without a strong central point, a national crisis could arise at a time when strong and swift leadership is needed. There is a risk of being communized.

Countries with monarchs, like Japan or the UK, can have a cabinet system. Because they have a central figure in the monarch, even if there are problems within the cabinet, situations where decisions are delayed and the nation wavers do not occur. However, in a cabinet system country without a monarch, in times of emergency, the nation could face a major crisis due to delays caused by decision-making through majority rule.

Even in a presidential system, there should be only one central point. Power should be concentrated in the President; it is problematic to transfer a significant portion of that authority to the Prime Minister. When led by strong leadership centered on a single focal point, the nation becomes stable, can effectively respond to crises, and can swiftly adapt to rapidly changing international situations.

Politicians who disregard the safety and well-being of the nation and its people, and seek to change the political system to a parliamentary cabinet system solely for their own power, interest, and its legitimization, must come to their senses. Whether it is a presidential system or a parliamentary cabinet system, the public has little interest in it. The public only wishes for their livelihood problems to be solved. They only wish for politics that serves the people and promotes national development.

Vocabulary

• 촉일류 국가 “Chok-il-ryu Gukga”: Top-tier Nation
• 난세의 영웅 “Nanse-ui Yeongung”: Hero of a Troubled Era
• 혼돈과 절망 “Hondon-gwa Jeolmang”: Chaos and Despair
• 민주주의 “Minjujuui”: Democracy
• 특권층 “Teukgwoncheung”: Privileged Class
• 빈부 격차 “Binbu Gyeokcha”: Wealth Inequality
• 중우정치 “Jung-u Jeongchi”: Ochlocracy “Mob Rule”
• 철인정치 “Cheol-in Jeongchi”: Philosopher-King Rule
• 대의정치 “Dae-ui Jeongchi”: Representative Politics
• 신정정치 “Sinjeong Jeongchi”: Theocracy “Divine Governance”
• 공리 “Gong-ri”: Benevolence / Universal Principle
• 공존 공영 “Gongjon Gongyeong”: Coexistence and Mutual Prosperity
• 화신 “Hwasin”: Incarnation
• 종산주의 “Jongsanjuui”: Jongsanism “Economic System for Perfecting Capitalism”
• 면책 특권 “Myeonchaek Teukgwon”: Immunity from Prosecution
• 불체포 특권 “Bulchepo Teukgwon”: Inviolability from Arrest
• 연동형 비례대표제 “Yeondonghyeong Biryedaepyoche”: Mixed-Member Proportional Representation System
• 위성 정당 “Wiseong Jeongdang”: Satellite Party
• 지방자치제 “Jibang Jachije”: Local Autonomy System
• 당리당략 “Dangri Dangnyak”: Partisan Interests
• 정당 보조금 “Jeongdang Bojogum”: Party Subsidies
• 선거 보조금 “Seongeo Bojogum”: Election Subsidies
• 사표 “Sapyo”: Dead Vote
• 인구 절벽 “Ingu Jeolbyeok”: Demographic Cliff
• 산아 제한 정책 “Sana Jehan Jeongchaek”: Population Control Policy
• 김영란법 “Kim Young-ran Beop”: Kim Young-ran Act “Anti-Corruption Law”
• 금융실명제 “Geumyung Silmyeongje”: Real Name Financial System
• 헌법 재판소 “Huhnbeop Jaepanso”: Constitutional Court
• 내각제 개헌 “Naegakje Gaeheon”: Constitutional Amendment for a Cabinet System

난세 Ch.5 The Audacious Vision of Huh Kyung-young A Path to a Transformed Korea

The Path Less Traveled: A Vision for a New Society

1. The Alternative of Middle-Class Centricism

Many people commonly speak of gradual progress, believing that our politics and society are evolving in such a manner. However, is this truly the case? Has our politics steadily advanced? Is society progressively improving? I wish to ask them: Is there even a slight possibility that the lives of the people will gradually improve under the current political circumstances? And are there truly gradual methods to resolve the deepening wealth disparity and achieve a society of coexistence and co-prosperity? I can unequivocally state that such methods do not exist. There is no other way than a revolutionary approach that completely reconfigures the system with the goal of a coexistent and co-prosperous society.

The Monstrous Nature of Capitalism

Our nation’s industrial revolution and the Miracle on the Han River brought about remarkable economic development and an abundance of life. As industrialization further advanced, the nation’s overall wealth and profits grew, and people’s lives changed dramatically. However, capitalism is inherently a system designed to create a cycle where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. In a free market economy with ambiguous competition, there are inevitably those who earn a lot of money and those who do not. Those who earn a lot of money invest it to earn even more. As this cycle repeats, the disparity grows enormously, eventually leading to a structure where the wealthy easily monopolize most of the nation’s wealth.

During periods of rapid development, there are relatively many opportunities to accumulate wealth, leading to the formation of a middle class with a certain level of economic power. However, as industry becomes highly advanced, wealth becomes hyper-concentrated in corporations with cutting-edge technology and immense capital, weakening the middle class and causing extreme polarization. This phenomenon is not unique to Korea but is a global trend. According to a 2016 Davos Forum report, 1% of the wealthy control over 50% of the world’s wealth. The difference in wealth growth rates also showed that while the wealth of these 1% increased by 224%, that of the remaining population increased by only 5%.

According to a 2015 statistic, 10% of the people in our country hold over 66% of the nation’s total wealth. A few years ago, the term “Hell Joseon” was popular in Korea, meaning a hellish Korea without hope. In a survey asking why people thought of Korea as “Hell Joseon” over 60% cited wealth disparity and imbalance, symbolized by “gold spoons” and “dirt spoons” as the reason. Has the situation of “Hell Joseon” improved since then? Far from it, it is a well-known fact that the despair of the homeless, including the younger generation, has only deepened due to the skyrocketing prices of real estate, such as housing.

Capitalism is an economic system dominated by capital, based on private property, where goods are produced to acquire profit. It is underpinned by individualism and self-interest, with a free market economy uncontrolled by the state as its foundation. The advantages of capitalism include respecting individual freedom, recognizing private property, allowing free economic activity, boosting work ethic to increase productivity, and fostering technological development. However, in addition to the problem of recurring economic cycles of recession and boom, capitalism has the severe problem of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, as mentioned earlier. After the IMF crisis, the collapse of the middle class in Korea further exacerbated this disparity.

If the Fourth Industrial Revolution accelerates without any modification to the current capitalist system, wealth disparity will intensify to an extreme degree incomparable to today, potentially leading to severe social unrest. It is no exaggeration to say that if we proceed into the Fourth Industrial Revolution era without any adjustments to the current capitalism, immense social conflict and even war are predicted between the few who possess advanced technology and the majority who do not. We must recognize that we are facing a planned capitalism that could plunge society into extreme chaos.

The Failure of Communism

Communism is an ideology that seeks to eliminate wealth disparities by rejecting private property and implementing a system of common ownership. It posits that workers remain poor despite their hard work because capitalists exploit the wealth that should belong to them. Therefore, it advocates for abolishing all private property, making all assets communal, and jointly managing production and distribution. Its founder was Karl Marx of Germany, and it is also known as Marxism, named after him.

In the early 20th century, Vladimir Lenin of the Soviet Union initiated the Communist Revolution, the Bolshevik Revolution, in Russia, giving birth to the first communist state. Subsequently, communist regimes were established in Eastern Europe, China, the Indochina Peninsula, and North Korea. Communists predicted that, with historical development, capitalism would eventually disappear from the Earth, and a communist society would emerge. However, communism disregarded human free will and self-interested tendencies, and by not recognizing private property, it led to a loss of work ethic and hindered technological development, resulting in decreased productivity and widespread poverty.

Ultimately, in the 1990s, the Soviet Union, the birthplace of communism, collapsed, and subsequently, Eastern European communist states also abandoned the communist system, marking its end. Although China’s political system remains socialist, its economy already operates under a capitalist system. While capitalism was predicted to fail, communism collapsed first. The communist system, established with much bloodshed under the banner of overcoming capital and class to build an egalitarian world, later showed a contradictory nature, with the Communist Party, such as Pol Pot’s regime in Cambodia in extreme cases, ruling over the vast majority of the populace and monopolizing wealth and power.

Fundamental Change: The Lost Way of Communism

Capitalism, which believed that an invisible hand of the market would ensure economic prosperity without government intervention, faced a major crisis with the Great Depression just before World War II. This crisis became the backdrop for the emergence of Keynesian modified capitalism, where the state intervenes in the market. It is a well-known fact that U.S. President Roosevelt adopted Keynes’s ideas and overcame the Great Depression through the New Deal policy, which aimed to create effective demand.

In the UK and Europe, under the slogan “From cradle to grave” states pursued welfare policies to complement the problems of capitalism, developing welfare capitalism. However, the UK eventually suffered from excessive welfare spending, leading to fiscal deficits and a loss of economic vitality. To make matters worse, it faced an economic crisis in the early 1970s due to stagflation caused by the oil shock. In response, the Hayekian neoliberal system, which reduced the role of government and strengthened market functions, emerged, with welfare policies being significantly curtailed under the Thatcher government’s “Thatcherism.”

Our country also adopted Thatcherism, including the IMF’s demands, during former President Kim Dae-jung’s administration. It implemented privatization policies and large-scale restructuring to overcome the IMF crisis that occurred during the previous Kim Young-sam administration. However, during this process, many companies went bankrupt or were taken over by foreign capital, leading to mass unemployment and a shrinking middle class. The inherent problem of capitalism, the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, continues to worsen day by day, along with industrial polarization.

The conclusion is that neither neoliberal modified capitalism nor British-style welfare capitalism has been able to resolve the problems of capitalism. Individualistic modified capitalism was more a means of sustaining capitalism to rescue an economy in depression rather than a solution for wealth disparity. Welfare capitalism, without an efficient way to develop the national economy and expand the pie, relied solely on global support to secure welfare funds, leading to economic stagnation, no increase in tax revenue, chronic fiscal deficits, and inevitable failure.

Middle-Class Centricism as the Solution

The problems of capitalism, which no system has solved until now, can be addressed by Middle-Class Centricism. The Middle-Class Centricism I advocate is a system that institutionally ensures 99% of the population becomes middle class. It is fundamentally different from individualistic modified capitalism, neoliberalism, or British-style welfare capitalism. Middle-Class Centricism can achieve both distribution and growth simultaneously. The specific implementation plans are the various measures mentioned earlier. When all these measures are implemented, they will operate as a perfect system that allows for both distribution and growth simultaneously, according to the mechanism.

This will not only reduce wealth disparity and achieve social equity but also enhance economic efficiency. This is something neither Keynes nor Hayek could accomplish. The vicious cycle where focusing on growth leads to distribution problems and increased wealth disparity, and focusing on distribution slows down growth, can be perfectly resolved by Middle-Class Centricism. The set of measures that make Middle-Class Centricism possible also avoids the problems caused by welfare systems. It is a plan to complete capitalism by maximizing its advantages, such as productivity, while resolving the capitalist evils of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

Furthermore, the Middle-Class Centricism plan can be considered the ultimate version of national welfare. Beveridge’s failed dream of making citizens’ lives happy through welfare policies that encompass their entire lives, “From cradle to grave” through the state, can be perfectly realized, even beyond his dreams, through the Middle-Class Centricism plan. Middle-Class Centricism is a groundbreaking solution that perfectly resolves the chronic problem of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer in capitalism, and it can be proudly claimed as the pinnacle of welfare.

2. The Values Pursued by Future Corporations

Recently, ESG has become an important consideration in corporate investment. ESG stands for Environment, Social, and Governance. This means that investors consider non-financial factors like ESG, along with financial elements, when deciding on corporate investments. They believe that a company’s governance structure and its impact on the environment and society are key variables for its long-term survival. When investors consider a company’s ESG performance in addition to its financial statements, it can incentivize companies to engage in activities that benefit society. It is a very desirable direction to use performance reflecting eco-friendly, social, and ethical values as key indicators when evaluating companies.

I believe that the state can be defined as a joint-stock company formed by a contract with its citizens. The Republic of Korea, in this sense, becomes “Republic of Korea Co., Ltd.” “Republic of Korea Co., Ltd.” can be described as a grand enterprise with all citizens as shareholders. However, it is not a traditional company focused on profit-seeking but rather resembles the companies of the coming future society that prioritize environment, society, and desirable governance structures.

“Republic of Korea Co., Ltd.” will not only take the lead in restoring and maintaining the environment through eco-friendly and co-prosperous measures but also fulfill its social responsibility by ensuring that all citizens can live a middle-class or higher standard of living. Furthermore, all public officials, including the President, the nation’s top leader, will work diligently as employees of the company for the shareholders, the citizens. The citizens, as shareholders, will take ownership and pay close attention to the management of the Republic of Korea, checking for wasted budgets, unnecessary projects, or any problems. In other words, the governance structure is an ideal one where all shareholders are central.

“Republic of Korea Co., Ltd.” which pursues coexistence and co-prosperity, is more eco-friendly and socially ethical than any other company in the world, valuing and practicing these values as the highest. It is the most desirable company where all citizens are shareholders and actual owners. A “Republic of Korea Co., Ltd.” that perfectly embodies these qualities is a future-oriented and ecologically-oriented company that perfectly aligns with the ideals of future companies preferred by today’s investors. It is the best company that fulfills its social responsibilities and possesses an ideal governance structure.

3. No Discrimination, No Reverse Discrimination

Regarding policies for women, I believe that the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, currently the Ministry of Women and Family, and gender-sensitive budgeting should be abolished. Making such claims might lead some to view me as a male chauvinist or to misapprehend that I disparage women. However, that is absolutely not the case. For a long time, I have held the conviction that spouses should be in an equal relationship, that all people, regardless of gender, should receive fair treatment, and that women should not be discriminated against.

In fact, among several proposals, the dividend system, which provides a fixed monthly amount sufficient for living, was primarily designed with women in mind. As a child, I witnessed the arduous lives of neighborhood women for a long time. From waking up at dawn to fetch water and cooking for a large family of over ten, to helping with farm work during the day, and then weaving late into the night after dinner without rest, they toiled day and night. Seeing this, even as a child, I resolved that when I grew up, I would do something to make their lives easier.

Nowadays, women primarily manage household affairs. However, if a husband loses his job or fails in business and incurs heavy debts, the household managed by women immediately faces great difficulties. Even if they earn money themselves to put out urgent fires, it goes without saying that it would be far from enough to maintain their previous standard of living. While the husband’s suffering is similar, it is the wife who immediately feels the hardship of reality.

However, if a fixed monthly amount, sufficient for living, is paid, even if the husband unintentionally loses his job or fails in business, a minimum of 3 million won will still come in. While not luxurious, it would alleviate worries about food or sudden increases in children’s tuition fees. Furthermore, this payment is protected from seizure, so creditors like the state or banks cannot arbitrarily take it. This system, which provides a fixed monthly amount sufficient for living, is fundamentally designed to relieve the anxiety and stress of women managing households and enable them to run their families with peace of mind.

When I was young, studying Confucianism at a traditional school, I was scolded by my teacher for the first and last time. The reason was that I questioned the character for “husband and wife” “夫婦”. At the time, I argued that since husband and wife are equal, it was wrong to create the character for “husband” “夫” in a way that suggests it is higher than the heavens, while the character for “wife” “婦” implies a woman holding a broom and cleaning. My teacher then hit my calf with a rod and severely reprimanded me. However, even now, my belief that husband and wife are equal remains unchanged.

The characters for husband and wife, when viewed in their original meaning, show the sun and moon side by side. The sun, which rises during the day, symbolizes the man, and the moon, which appears at night, symbolizes the woman. The sun and moon placed side by side form the character for “bright” “Light”. If the character for “moon” “月” were placed below the character for “sun” “日”, it would not create “brightness.” Just as the characters for “brightness” “Light” show, a household becomes bright when husband and wife are in an equal relationship.

When considering brightness, one might instinctively think that the daytime, when the sun is out, is much brighter than the nighttime, when the moon is out. However, this is not true. If the standard of brightness is one’s immediate surroundings, then day is brighter. But if the standard is the distant sky filled with twinkling stars, then night is much brighter. Just as the sun and moon illuminate day and night, when men and women form an equal relationship, not a hierarchical one, respecting each other and achieving harmony, the home becomes bright and filled with warmth.

I have also pointed out flaws in the Confucian “Three Bonds and Five Relationships” “Three綱五倫”. As is well known, the Three Bonds state that the ruler is the guide for the subject, the husband for the wife, and parents for their children. Among these, my argument is that the bond between husband and wife “夫爲婦綱” is incorrect. Husband and wife should be equal; elevating one over the other is problematic. The specific expressions of the Three Bonds are the Five Relationships, but the husband-wife bond in the Three Bonds and the distinction between husband and wife in the Five Relationships “夫婦有別” do not align, making the Three Bonds and Five Relationships themselves contradictory.

“夫婦有別” means there is an inviolable distinction between husband and wife, where “別” refers to the relationship between in-laws. The relationship between in-laws is equal, not hierarchical. Therefore, it is incorrect to express the Five Relationships as an equal relationship of “夫婦有別” while the Three Bonds express a hierarchical relationship of “夫爲婦綱.” Husband and wife are naturally distinct. This is because, even before being husband and wife, they are biologically different as male and female. It is unreasonable to ask a husband to bear a child or to ask a wife to perform tasks requiring great strength.

Traditionally, husbands primarily worked outside the home to earn money, while wives were responsible for household management and raising children within the home. This is a natural division of roles and should not be seen as discrimination. The universe contains the principles of Minus and Plus and the Five Elements, and humans are no exception. Biologically, we are made that way. As seen in the character for “bright” “Light”, the sun and moon are in a MinusPlus relationship and are equal, yet they have different appearances. Temporally, the sun is active during the bright day and disappears at night. Conversely, the moon is active at night.

If the sun and moon are parents, the Earth can be likened to a child. The sun simply needs to illuminate the Earth consistently every day. The moon, on the other hand, constantly changes, moving the ocean tides to keep the sea alive and imparting the Earth’s biological rhythm to allow living creatures to thrive. By fulfilling their respective roles differently, the sun and moon create harmony, sustaining the living entity that is Earth and allowing all kinds of life to exist within it. Spatially, the sun works from afar, and the moon works from nearby, creating the optimal environment for Earth. From Earth, the sun and moon appear to be almost the same size.

This applies directly to human society. The husband’s main sphere of activity is outside the home. He can be active outside, speak loudly, and assert himself. However, once he enters the home, it is the wife’s domain. The home is the wife’s ground. For the home to be stable and harmonious, the wife must be comfortable and the mother stable. This means the center of the family is the wife, not the husband. A husband who tries to dominate his wife or raises his voice at home is an incompetent husband.

The wife also needs the wisdom to uphold her husband’s dignity when outside the home. This is not a matter of equality but a natural principle for achieving harmony between husband and wife and building a harmonious family. Just like the apparent size of the sun and moon from Earth, parents also hold almost similar importance. Meanwhile, the distinction between husband and wife refers to differences in their roles within the family, not their roles in social life. It goes without saying that anyone, male or female, can engage in social activities, and there should be no restrictions on their roles or positions.

Women, too, can rise to high positions based on their abilities, and there should be no restrictions on the work they do. The Republic of Korea guarantees equal rights for all citizens and the freedom to choose one’s profession. Therefore, equality policies should not lead to gender discrimination. The reasons for abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and gender-sensitive budgeting are related to issues of fairness and equity. Just as women should not be discriminated against, other genders should not be discriminated against for not being women.

The fundamental principle that allows our society to function healthily is fairness. Our Constitution, in Article 11, Paragraph 1, also stipulates that all citizens are equal before the law and that no one shall be discriminated against in all areas of political, economic, social, or cultural life on account of gender, religion, or social status. However, establishing a Ministry of Gender Equality and Family or allocating gender-sensitive budgets can be seen as discriminating against genders other than women. If only one gender is assertd, the other may relatively suffer disadvantages, and there will inevitably be backlash.

If something is absolutely necessary for women, there is no need to create a separate gender-sensitive budget; the relevant department should simply allocate and execute the budget. For example, in the case of men’s and women’s restrooms, if it is deemed necessary to install more stalls in women’s restrooms compared to men’s restrooms, which have separate urinals, then it should be done. However, there is no reason to publicly designate such obvious things as gender-sensitive budgets and allocate them separately.

The continued existence of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family infringes upon citizens’ rights to equality and freedom. For government ministries, it would be fair to also have a Ministry of Men, a Ministry of Children, and a Ministry of the Elderly. The very existence of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family violates gender equality and the freedom to live freely. Democracy has three major principles: the principle of the pursuit of happiness, the principle of human dignity, and the principle of absolute fairness. The existence of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family violates all these principles.

It goes against the principle of absolute fairness that all citizens should receive absolutely equal treatment, and distinguishing between men and women goes against the principles of human dignity and the right of everyone to pursue happiness. The state must not infringe upon or violate the rights of citizens guaranteed by the Constitution and the principles of democracy.

An Inappropriate Ministry of Gender Equality and Family

Another reason for abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is that establishing a central ministry with a massive budget, comparable to the Ministry of National Defense or the Ministry of Public Administration, for the protection of women’s rights is considered inappropriate. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is a central administrative agency of the state, with a minister as its head. Central administrative agencies include the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, all of which target the entire nation and its citizens.

Although the Ministry of Women recently changed its name to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and now also handles family and youth issues, it is still not suitable as a central ministry because it excludes men, who constitute half of the population. It is natural for the state to show great concern for issues faced by women as social minorities, such as domestic violence and sexual violence, and to establish measures and strive for the welfare and protection of women’s rights. However, these issues are not new topics and were originally handled by the Ministry of Health and Welfare; they are within the scope of the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s policies. There is no reason to establish a separate central ministry, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which is inappropriate in scale, thereby wasting budget and causing social discontent. The current Ministry of Gender Equality and Family should be abolished, and a responsible department within the Ministry of Health and Welfare would suffice.

Balanced Policies Achieving Integration

People are naturally sensitive to discrimination. In the past, it was common for daughters to suffer severe neglect from their families simply for being daughters, and many women carried this wound throughout their lives. Discrimination is that hurtful. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family established by the state or national policies solely for women can hurt men, especially young men, including teenagers. Just as past family discrimination against daughters and social discrimination against women caused severe wounds to women, national policies aimed at eliminating gender discrimination can, in turn, cause reverse discrimination and feelings of alienation in other genders.

I believe this possibility is actually becoming a reality. This can be easily seen from the overflowing online content where men express overt hostility towards the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and criticize women’s policies. Their feelings towards the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and women’s policies have progressed beyond dissatisfaction to outright misogyny. The more serious problem, however, is that women, not to be outdone, are also engaging in misandrist remarks, creating a deep chasm of conflict between men and women. National policies should not provoke severe conflict between genders.

the cause of this phenomenon cannot be attributed solely to the state’s establishment of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and women’s policies, but it is undeniable that a significant portion stems from the establishment of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family or biased policies. The state has a responsibility to enhance the happiness and quality of life of all citizens. Therefore, rather than highlighting a specific gender, it should pursue balanced policies that encompass all citizens. In cases where there may be conflicting positions among policy targets, such as gender equality issues, state policies must be even more cautious.

It is crucial to maintain balance, especially in sensitive matters where interests conflict, as losing balance can lead to severe social conflict and national division. Among the efforts to achieve gender equality, creating laws that provide subsidies to political parties that nominate more than 30% women candidates for general elections, or mandating a certain percentage of women in ministerial or parliamentary positions, and even forcing private companies to adopt gender quotas, are also problematic. I am aware that these measures were intended to change a social climate where it was difficult for women to advance to high positions, but it is not a good approach.

This is an area that should be achieved through education and social awareness, rather than laws or policies, even if it takes more time. Furthermore, social advancement should ideally be achieved through fair competition, regardless of gender. Policies that appear to grant special privileges to one gender are likely to cause misconstrual or backlash. It is worth considering the abolition of military service bonus points, which were granted to men who fulfilled their national defense duty, on the grounds that they violated the principle of equality in the Constitution.

Simply imitating other countries’ quota systems is also not the right approach. There is no guarantee that what other countries do is necessarily correct. Society’s rules must be fair. If fairness is lost, someone will inevitably feel dissatisfied, which can ultimately lead to conflict or social unrest. It is obvious that social stability and integration will be undermined. Therefore, policies biased towards a specific gender are undesirable, whether from the perspective of constitutional compliance or social integration.

It is certainly desirable for women to actively participate in various social fields, demonstrating their talents and abilities. It is natural that there should be no discrimination between men and women in this regard. However, instead of creating exceptional legal provisions like gender quotas for this purpose, it is better to change people’s perceptions through education at home, in schools, and in society. We must consider that creating mandatory provisions that can be perceived as reverse discrimination against men can provoke social conflict and undermine women’s self-esteem. It must be remembered that state intervention, even to the extent of granting institutional privileges to eliminate discrimination, actually infringes upon the right to equality and only fuels social conflict.

The Gender-Sensitive Budget That Must Be Abolished

I would like to address the gender-sensitive budget, which is allocated in relation to gender equality policies. While the gender-sensitive budget is said to be prepared for the purpose of achieving gender equality, I find its very existence questionable, and its scale is astonishing. In 2020 alone, an astronomical budget of approximately 30 trillion won was reportedly executed under the name of gender sensitivity. In the same year, our national defense budget was about 50 trillion won. I cannot apprehend if gender inequality in our country is truly as serious a problem as national defense.

Compared to the Ministry of Justice’s budget, one can truly grasp how enormous this amount is. The Ministry of Justice plays a crucial role in upholding the nation’s laws and protecting citizens from crime, yet its annual budget was only about 3 trillion won. some budget is necessary for gender equality. However, I cannot possibly comprehend why an astronomical amount of 32 trillion won needs to be spent.

Korea’s gender-sensitive budget was first introduced in 2010, with an allocated budget of only 7.5 trillion won. However, this budget has increased year after year, reaching 31.7 trillion won in 2020. In just 10 years, it has surged to an astronomical amount, more than four times its original size. According to the 2021 Gender-Sensitive Budget Analysis Report published by the National Assembly Budget Office, 34.931 trillion won was allocated in 2021, an increase of 3.2 trillion won from the previous year. At this rate, it is expected to approach 50 trillion won by around 2025. It is simply astounding.

There are further problems. The gender-sensitive budget is distributed among about 60 ministries, but it is unclear where and how it is being used. Looking at the budget execution details for 2020, the Ministry of Science and ICT received 246.8 billion won under the pretext of fostering female scientists and engineers. However, only about 20% of that large sum was actually used for that purpose. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups also received 256.1 billion won, ostensibly to support female small and medium-sized entrepreneurs. However, the actual beneficiaries were only 31 people, accounting for merely 3.3% of the allocated budget.

In addition, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport received 2.8 billion won under the pretext of training female pilots. the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Ministry of Interior and Safety also receive large sums, but the details remain equally ambiguous. According to one media report’s analysis, 450 billion won of the gender-sensitive budget was used for urban regeneration projects, 2.7 billion won for SME regulatory impact assessments, and about 400 million won for science classroom operating funds.

Urban regeneration projects are thought to be about reconstructing urban infrastructure to be women-friendly. I do not think that is an entirely unnecessary task. However, considering the material difficulties our citizens and families are currently facing, and serious social problems like the declining birth rate, dismantling and rebuilding existing national facilities cannot be an urgent priority and should not be a priority in budget execution. Furthermore, the execution of gender-sensitive budgets for SME regulatory impact assessments and science classrooms is utterly incomprehensible in its relation to gender inequality issues. The scale and use of the gender-sensitive budget are problematic, and its public diversion is an even greater issue.

The Kyung gi Women and Family Foundation website contains a report on the results of the Gender-Sensitive Budget Policy Cooperation Forum held by the Kyung gi Family and Women Research Institute in December 2020. Among them, a survey on public officials’ perceptions of gender-sensitive budget projects particularly stands out. It was a survey on what public officials think when executing gender-sensitive budgets and how they execute them. An analysis of the responses from the surveyed public officials reveals many problems in the execution of gender-sensitive budgets. Problems are evident from the selection of target projects to project selection, family support, and post-support management.

In the selection of target projects, projects with low relevance to gender equality or those unlikely to show improvement effects are included. In the project selection process, projects are sometimes selected based on allocation rather than considering the project content, or even based solely on the project’s name. This clearly shows how haphazardly the gender-sensitive budget is being managed and executed. Furthermore, responses indicate that support methods are limited to providing subsidies, suggesting that budget execution ends with simply giving money, without proper monitoring of how it is actually used or what results it achieves.

For me, policies related to the gender-sensitive budget are hastily conceived policies to meet the numerical gender equality standards of OECD countries, without a process of gaining public consensus, and are nothing more than haphazard budget planning and execution. In this situation, it is obvious how much national budget will be wasted and diverted to inappropriate places. The legal basis for the execution of the gender-sensitive budget is Article 26 of the National Finance Act and Article 36-2 of the Local Finance Act. These are, of course, legal provisions passed by the National Assembly. I find it difficult to accept whether it is right to plan and execute national budgets, which are made up of citizens’ taxes, so irresponsibly.

Planning a budget for which the use is unclear, and then finding places to spend that budget to execute it—this astronomical gender-sensitive budget, whose exact use is hard to ascertain, must be abolished as soon as possible.

4. Abolition of Prisons and Wealth-Proportional Fines

For a long time, I have advocated for the abolition of prisons in our country. This is because I believe that prisons are not fulfilling their intended role at all. They are not correctional facilities but rather “crime education centers.” What does “correction” mean? It means to set right and guide. However, the prisons I know are not places where correction occurs; instead, they resemble sites for crime education. I am not saying that correctional officers provide crime education. Crime education refers to the natural learning of criminal methods that occurs among inmates housed in the same facility.

It is not that correctional officers do not provide counseling to inmates. However, such counseling does not have a significant impact on them. In the same cell, various types of prisoners are housed, ranging from petty offenders with relatively minor offenses to serious criminals convicted of robbery, rape, and murder. Among them are first-time offenders and habitual offenders with ten or more previous convictions. Among these inmates, a hierarchy naturally forms based on the length of their incarceration, criminal record, and type of crime, and their own rules are established.

Aside from brief periods of exercise and labor at designated times, they are confined together in a small room. Consequently, inmates naturally ask each other about the crimes they committed and how they did it, and they even boast about their own past offenses and methods in great detail. Inmates naturally acquire various criminal techniques. Someone who only knew rudimentary methods learns sophisticated criminal techniques, and even those who committed crimes impulsively occasionally, upon repeatedly hearing habitual offenders boast about their criminal exploits, become desensitized to the guilt of crime.

Therefore, upon release, they are more likely to commit crimes again, using the methods they learned. They also naturally exchange contact information, increasing the possibility of committing crimes together after release. When they return to society after serving their sentences, society does not warmly welcome them. This is apprehendable, as it is impossible to trust when and what crime they might commit again. The stigma of a criminal record also hinders employment. Ultimately, a vicious cycle occurs where they commit greater crimes using the criminal methods learned in prison to make a living.

In some cases, they even conspire to commit more serious crimes while still in prison. Thus, prisons often become not places of correction but rather sites for crime education, where inmates learn criminal methods to commit more heinous offenses. The fact that this situation persists, and correctional administration continues as it is, demonstrates how deeply entrenched in inertia our society is regarding public safety and the use of national budget.

Most people might think that prison is a very miserable place, but that is not entirely true. Although they sleep in confined spaces and live deprived of freedom, their lives are not as wretched as the average person might imagine. Moreover, with the strengthening of inmates’ human rights, prison environments have significantly improved. In such an environment, I believe that people who struggle to make a living outside might intentionally commit crimes to return to prison after serving their sentences. It is a place where they are fed three meals a day on time, given a place to sleep, clothed, and allowed to exercise to stay healthy.

Therefore, I advocate for the abolition of all prisons nationwide, except for one or two facilities to house serious criminals. It costs approximately 25 million won per year to manage one inmate. Multiplying this by the number of inmates nationwide amounts to an enormous sum of money. There is no reason to spend this enormous amount of money on prisons that, far from achieving their original purpose, instead become places for transmitting criminal methods. Considering that prisons have more negative functions than positive ones, it would be far better to cease operating them as they are now, if money is abundant.

The Justification of the Wealth-Proportional Fine System

Even now, fines constitute a major form of punishment, accounting for approximately 8-10% of all criminal cases as of 2015. The advantages of fines include avoiding the harm of transmitting criminal methods associated with prison incarceration, ease of execution, and low execution costs. However, in Korea, the fine system is a lump-sum fine system, where the same fine is imposed for the same crime regardless of the offender’s wealth, and failure to pay the fine results in detention in a labor facility.

The lump-sum fine system can be a harsh punishment for those without assets, but it may have no punitive effect on the wealthy. Furthermore, if fines are not paid, they are replaced by detention in a labor facility, which can lead to the same problems as prison incarceration. Therefore, I believe that a wealth-proportional fine system should be implemented instead of the current lump-sum fine system. Moreover, comprehension what “benefit” means helps to grasp why the wealth-proportional fine system is an equitable system.

Let’s say a delivery driver with assets of about 30 million won and a wealthy individual with hundreds of billions of won in assets both commit the same traffic light violation. In terms of equality before the law, it would be correct for both to pay the same fine of about 70,000 won. However, that amount is most of a day’s wages for the delivery driver, but it is pocket change for the wealthy individual. For the delivery driver, 70,000 won is a severe punishment that nullifies the hard labor of carrying heavy packages, causing significant mental distress.

However, for the wealthy individual with hundreds of billions of won, a 70,000 won fine is pocket change, so it cannot be considered a punishment. It does not instill any sense of caution or warning to be careful about future traffic light violations. Therefore, even for the same offense, the level of punishment should differ for the delivery driver and the wealthy individual. For a traffic light violation, imposing a fine of about 10,000 won on the delivery driver and at least 10 million won on the wealthy individual would achieve a similar punitive effect in terms of suffering. This is truly equitable and fair treatment.

Although I proposed this wealth-proportional fine system a long time ago, it has not even been discussed in Korea until recently, while other countries have been implementing similar fine systems. In Finland, a wealthy individual caught speeding is fined approximately 63 million won. In the United States, one must pay at least 1.1 million won. For drunk driving, the fine can be as high as 5.8 million won. These countries also believe that it is fair to impose higher fines on wealthy individuals who commit crimes.

Furthermore, from the perspective of guaranteeing the right to survival, where the state must enable citizens to make a living, it is right to punish minor offenses committed by ordinary people due to livelihood concerns with leniency. However, wealthy individuals are those who have accumulated wealth thanks to the infrastructure provided by the state and the economic activities of the people, so their social responsibility and obligations are also great. Therefore, when such individuals violate the law, the punishment must be commensurate with their social responsibility and obligations.

The wealth-proportional fine system can also achieve the effect of wealth redistribution. In summary, the wealth-proportional fine system imposes fines according to the level of wealth. It imposes smaller fines for offenses committed by ordinary people due to livelihood concerns and larger fines as wealth increases. It is a system that promotes fairness and considers social responsibility.

Some people express concern that if the prison system is abolished, criminals will roam the streets, causing insecurity. This may seem true at first glance, but it is not. Even if the prison system is abolished, one or two facilities for life-sentenced criminals will remain, so dangerous felons who pose a significant threat to society will naturally be isolated. Those who commit crimes such as murder, rape, and robbery will all be incarcerated and receive severe punishment.

The cases where individuals are not imprisoned but punished with fines are for relatively minor offenses committed by so-called petty criminals, such as economic offenders, drug offenders, traffic offenders, and fraudsters. Therefore, even if these criminals or offenders remain in society, they do not pose a threat to public safety. Dangerous criminals will not be released into society until they have fully paid for their crimes, and fine-only offenders will not be provided with time and place to be together, thus preventing them from learning more criminal methods and committing further crimes.

Furthermore, while inmates incarcerated together in prison can conspire to commit crimes, fine-only offenders do not gather together, so there is no opportunity to conspire for joint crimes. Therefore, there is no need to worry that criminals will roam the streets and make society insecure. Abolishing prisons can actually lower the crime rate and lead to a safer society.

In a capitalist society, imposing fines can create a significant burden, which is expected to have a good punitive effect. If individuals refuse to pay fines, they can be dealt with through mediation, or measures such as asset seizure can be taken. Since it is a wealth-proportional fine, there will be very few cases where individuals cannot pay the fine due to lack of money. In cases where individuals have assets but claim not to, or underreport or falsely report them, thorough investigations will be conducted to ascertain the truth, and strong measures may be taken if false reporting is proven.

For this system to be implemented, various scenarios may arise, requiring further specific legal amendments and reinforcements to ensure there are no loopholes. However, from an overall perspective, the abolition of the prison system and the wealth-proportional fine system are expected to bring about a groundbreaking transformation in terms of punitive effect, national budget savings, and the realization of social equity.

5. Abolition of Property Tax and Market Autonomy for Real Estate Policy

To build a more advanced nation, where the government provides more benefits to citizens and establishes a safe and convenient social infrastructure, it is necessary to secure as much tax revenue as possible for planning and executing the necessary budget. However, there is one principle that the government must keep in mind: the principle that taxes should be collected while enabling businesses and individuals to earn money well. The state’s support must come first, with citizens being favorable towards taxes. If there is sufficient profit even after paying taxes, not many citizens will resist taxes.

Our citizens have a strong, overarching sense of national interest rather than just self-interest. This was evident during the 1997 IMF crisis when the nation was on the verge of bankruptcy, and all citizens participated in a gold-collecting campaign to overcome the crisis. The problem, however, is taxes that must be paid even without income. Property tax and vehicle ownership tax, for example, must be paid even when no additional income is generated.

In our country, there are taxes that must be paid even without income. These are property taxes, such as comprehensive real estate tax, and vehicle ownership tax, which are levied simply for owning real estate or a car. These taxes violate the first principle of taxation, “where there is income, there is tax.” Therefore, they can be considered unfairly collected taxes by the state or local governments. These taxes cause great suffering to the people. While these annual taxes may not be a big problem for those who have income from other sources and can pay them from that income, for example, for people who own only one house and have no income, property tax imposition is a great hardship.

This can lead to situations where they have to take out loans or sell their homes to pay taxes. Paying taxes on home ownership is akin to living in a state-owned house and paying monthly rent, or the state gradually taking away citizens’ property. We pay acquisition tax when we acquire real estate. And we pay capital gains tax when we sell it. That should be enough. The same applies to vehicle ownership tax. It is an unfair tax to collect taxes twice a year for simply owning a used car worth 1 million won. Paying acquisition tax and registration tax when buying a car, and capital gains tax when selling it, should be sufficient.

If the logic of ownership tax were applied consistently, we would also have to collect a mobile phone ownership tax. I believe that these unfair property taxes and vehicle ownership taxes should be completely abolished. Taxation must be fair, just, and rational. Collecting taxes simply for ownership is an unfair double taxation. Property taxes on land, houses, and real estate, as well as vehicle ownership taxes, are all unfair taxes.

Some argue that since real estate prices are excessively rising, property taxes should be heavily imposed to curb the increase. This argument is illogical. If that logic were true, then the state should compensate for excessive declines in real estate prices. This is an absurd argument. Property taxes should be abolished, and speculative real estate purchases can be controlled by other methods, such as adjusting capital gains tax rates. Real estate policy should be left to market autonomy.

Recently, the government has been preparing new legislation to raise the comprehensive real estate tax. The plan was to increase the comprehensive real estate tax by up to 90%. Perhaps due to strong public criticism, it has recently shown some signs of backing down. If the comprehensive real estate tax were to be pushed through as in the original amendment, it would be difficult to avoid criticism for pursuing a policy that raises ownership taxes when they should be abolished. It is obvious that citizens who own real estate would face a tax bomb.

The government may have several reasons for pursuing such a policy. However, trying to curb housing price increases with taxes is a miscalculation. The increased comprehensive real estate tax will be passed on to housing prices, and gradually, the availability of jeonse “lump-sum deposit housing” will disappear, and monthly rent will become more common, making housing problems more difficult for ordinary people. Instead of stabilizing housing for ordinary people by curbing housing price increases, it could lead to results completely opposite to the intention.

Immediately, the elderly living on fixed pensions without other income might lose sleep worrying about taxes. Homeowners whose income has stopped due to retirement might be forced to sell their homes. The government exists for the people. It is very wrong for the government, which acts as a manager on behalf of the people, not to implement policies that trouble its citizens, who are the owners.

They might argue that it is a voice for resolving wealth disparity, a chronic problem in our society, and realizing distributive justice, but even so, the method is incorrect. Imposing excessive taxes even on ordinary people who own one apartment does not align with distributive justice. The real estate market should fundamentally be left to market autonomy. It is not good for the state to intervene in the market, whether prices rise or not. The state can adjust capital gains tax rates and receive a corresponding capital gains tax when properties are sold later.

I also believe there is no reason for all citizens to live in expensive areas like Gangnam. It is enough if they can live comfortably and stably in a small apartment without suffering from housing problems. In the case of capital gains tax, I believe it is good to exempt single homeowners, help ordinary people achieve their dream of owning a home, and adjust capital gains tax to curb only speculative home purchases. As a housing supply measure, with the increasing number of single-person households, I believe that supplying millions of small rental and for-sale housing units of less than 10 pyeong “approx. 33 sq. meters” in line with this trend would largely resolve the housing problem.

I fundamentally advocate for a capitalist free market economy. Communism is an economic system that is bound to fail in terms of productivity and efficiency. However, capitalism has the drawback of exacerbating the rich-get-richer, poor-get-poorer phenomenon, so my idea is to eliminate this drawback in capitalism. That is Middle-Class Centricism, which is based on capitalism’s free market economy but resolves capitalism’s weakness of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, ensuring that all citizens can live at least a middle-class standard of living. it would be good if those with ability could live even better.

A world without a poor class, where there are only middle-class people and up to the wealthy, is a Middle-Class Centric society. In a Middle-Class Centric society, there can be wealthy neighborhoods where rich people live, and places where only middle-class people gather. there can also be neighborhoods where everyone is mixed. In a Middle-Class Centric society, everyone can enjoy a satisfying life without relative deprivation. In a society where the wealthy pay a lot of taxes, and everyone lives well thanks to that, there will be no hatred for the wealthy. I believe a social atmosphere will be created where the wealthy can earn respect from society in exchange for paying a lot of taxes.

Collecting Taxes After Increasing Wealth

The easiest way for the government to secure tax revenue is through tax increases. This involves raising income tax rates, increasing the comprehensive real estate tax to collect more from real estate owners, or raising corporate tax rates to collect more from businesses. It goes without saying that tax increases place a greater burden on citizens and businesses. I believe that while tax increases may be necessary in some cases, methods that minimize the burden on citizens while securing tax revenue should be pursued as much as possible.

In our society, tax evasion and leakage are widespread, both knowingly and unknowingly. I believe that these illegal activities must be prevented to increase tax revenue. Furthermore, new tax sources must be created to secure tax revenue. Our society has many hidden aspects, including economic activities that are deemed illegal and conducted underground. Legalizing socially acceptable underground economic activities to create new tax sources is also a viable method.

One such activity is that of so-called “brokers.” If this is legalized and even encouraged to operate in a wide range of social sectors, taxes that could not be collected from income until now can be collected. By expanding this to a wide range of sectors, the number of people engaged in this profession will increase, leading to a significant increase in tax revenue. And most importantly, a crucial way to increase tax revenue is for the state to institutionally support businesses and individuals in their endeavors, thereby increasing profits and expanding the economic scale. In other words, it is about collecting taxes after wealth has been generated. If taxes are increased when citizens are struggling and businesses are facing difficulties, it can be a more severe tax than being devoured by a tiger.

6. No More Forced Sacrifices from Youth

When I served in the military in 2000, it had been less than 20 years since the Korean War and the armistice. It was natural for any man, unless he was an only son, to serve in the military. Economically, it was a time when we were struggling to overcome poverty. Our country, which was one of the poorest in the world, was just beginning to export and its economy was starting to grow. Soldiers had no choice but to serve with patriotism alone. The birth rate was high, and families had many children. Even with conscription, there was no shortage of industrial labor. Soldiers also contributed to national economic development. It is a well-known fact that the funds for constructing the Gyeongbu Expressway were raised by our soldiers participating in the Vietnam War. Conscription was a global phenomenon, and there was no need to question it.

However, circumstances have changed significantly now. Since achieving remarkable economic growth through the Miracle on the Han River, our economy is currently ranked among the top 10 in the world, and our per capita gross national income has exceeded $30,000. Even countries with much smaller economies can transition to a volunteer military system, let alone our economic power. Moreover, with the continuously decreasing birth rate, each family has only one or two children. Previously, only sons were exempt from military service, but now, every young man, unless there is a special disqualifying reason, must go to the military.

Due to these circumstances, military service corruption is rampant. Many people are not suited for military life. Compulsory military service, which is not desired by the individual, causes significant psychological stress. There are many side effects from forcing people who do not want to go into the military. Gun accidents and suicides within the military are constant problems. Until constitutional appeals were accepted, there were also cases where individuals became criminals due to refusing enlistment for religious reasons.

For a long time, I have believed that our country’s military system should be changed from conscription to a volunteer system. This has been my stance for over 30 years. A volunteer system refers to a system where personnel are recruited to serve as soldiers. This means replacing conscripted soldiers with professional soldiers who are recruited and paid approximately 2 million won per month. However, all individuals of conscription age, regardless of gender, would be required to undergo one month of basic military training.

During basic military training, they would learn how to shoot a gun, throw a grenade, and so on. During this period, they would also be paid approximately 2 million won per month. Women would also undergo mandatory training, avoiding periods of physical discomfort. This is because, in case of an emergency, women should at least know how to shoot a gun to protect themselves and their families. The 2 million won monthly salary for a volunteer soldier may seem small at first glance, but when combined with a fixed high-income payment system like the national dividend system, it becomes a considerable amount.

Many countries worldwide have transitioned from conscription to a volunteer system. The United States had conscription until the early 1970s after the Cold War, but as social opposition to conscription grew due to the Vietnam War, which yielded little results and caused great sacrifices for soldiers, they abolished conscription after withdrawing from Vietnam. China, the UK, France, Germany, Japan, Canada, Australia, India, and Thailand also have volunteer systems. Although they have volunteer systems, with the exception of some countries, they either switch to conscription in emergencies like major wars or require all individuals of conscription age to complete one to two months of basic military training.

No Unconditional Sacrifice

A newspaper reporter once asked the Vatican: “Does the Pope receive a salary?” The financial officer replied, “Why wouldn’t he? Even the Pope, who performs the most sacred work on Earth, receives a proper salary.” However, in our country, under the pretext of performing a sacred duty, young people are forced into the military to defend the nation, but they are paid a meager salary. As everyone knows, the country is not so poor that it cannot afford to pay them properly. On the contrary, it is a wealthy nation with the 10th largest economy in the world.

In 2016, a sergeant’s monthly salary was 216,000 won. That was for a sergeant; ordinary soldiers received much less. After military salaries became a social issue, they were significantly increased in 2018 to 405,700 won for a sergeant, and then to 541,800 won in 2020. It goes without saying that this amount is still far below the minimum wage. The national economy has developed remarkably, but the treatment of soldiers has remained stagnant.

How long will the state continue to demand sacrifices from young people under the plausible pretext of the sacred duty of national defense? It has also been a long time since military service bonus points, which were given for social advancement after discharge, were abolished based on a court ruling that they violated the constitutional right to equality. It is only right to compensate military service, at least economically. In 2020, the military service period for active-duty soldiers was 18 months for the Army and Marine Corps, and 20 months and 20 days for the Navy and Air Force, respectively.

Demanding unconditional sacrifice without any benefits during the period of defending the nation is an anachronistic way of thinking that does not align with the principles of democracy or capitalism. In feudal times, the state could conscript and force labor on its people at will, but now is a democratic era where citizens’ rights are guaranteed by the Constitution. Young people are also citizens of the Republic of Korea and must have their rights guaranteed. Their rights cannot be suspended even during military service. Soldiers also have the right to receive fair compensation for performing the sacred duty of defending the nation.

Even the Pope, monks in temples, and pastors in churches, who perform sacred duties, do not offer their services for free without any compensation. The sacred duty of national defense should not be demanded for free. People feel a sense of accomplishment when they do good deeds, but they work harder when they receive some compensation for their work. If only sacrifice is demanded, people often do it reluctantly, and morale naturally declines. The same applies to military culture. Appropriate compensation should be paid to boost military morale.

In fact, Korea’s current conscription system has continued since the Japanese colonial period. During World War II, totalitarian Japan, which attacked Pearl Harbor and started the Pacific War, forcibly conscripted our Korean people into the war under the pretext of a “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” and the claim that Koreans and Japanese shared a common ancestry. They also forced Koreans into labor in mines and factories producing military supplies. This framework of forced conscription and forced labor continued after liberation as conscription, leading to the mindset that it is natural for citizens to be mobilized for the state and sacrifice without compensation, which persists to this day. This is a mindset that must be eradicated and a harmful practice that must be abolished.

Treatment and Compensation for Veterans

The combat power of the United States, which operates a volunteer military system, is globally recognized as formidable. The exceptional treatment of American veterans plays a significant role in this. The United States treats soldiers who die or are wounded in war as patriotic heroes and provides ample compensation. Even if they are sacrificed in combat, their families receive substantial compensation, so there is no need to worry about their families. Such national treatment boosts military morale and instills patriotism in soldiers, serving as a driving force for enhancing combat power.

Soldiers under conscription, who are forcibly drafted and receive extremely low pay, find it difficult to show loyalty. Therefore, if soldiers who were forcibly dragged into a battlefield where bullets are flying were to desert, who could blame them? With a volunteer system, similar to the United States, if soldiers die or are wounded in war, the state should treat them as patriots and provide ample compensation to boost military morale and foster patriotism among service members. This would allow us to create a military with stronger combat power, even with fewer numbers than under conscription.

In this context, it is also necessary to consider compensating veterans of the Korean War and the Vietnam War with approximately 500 million won per person. Furthermore, it is necessary to provide similar compensation to Korean miners and nurses dispatched to Germany. All of them sacrificed their lives when the nation was in difficulty and contributed greatly to the nation’s rise. The amount of 500 million won is the unpaid salary that Vietnam War veterans did not properly receive from the state.

When the Korean government and the U.S. government negotiated Korea’s participation in the Vietnam War, one of the conditions put forward by our government was that Korean soldiers should receive the same pay as U.S. soldiers. However, at that time, Korea was just beginning its economic development and needed enormous funds. only 10% of the amount provided by the U.S. was paid to the participating soldiers, and the remaining amount was used for construction and economic development, such as building the Gyeongbu Expressway. In a way, it can be said that the significant development of our country was largely due to the sacrifices of the Vietnam War veterans.

However, it is unacceptable that our country, which has become so prosperous today, has not returned the unpaid salaries of Vietnam War veterans. I believe that money must be returned. And it is only natural to provide equivalent compensation to Korean War veterans. Furthermore, a fixed amount should be regularly paid as a token of gratitude for their dedication. If a veteran has already passed away, the money should be given to their family.

Meanwhile, if a volunteer military system is implemented, it is also necessary to consider providing a certain level of compensation to soldiers who served the nation under the conscription system for their dedication during their military service period. However, considering the national budget, if those who were discharged within 10 years are paid in cash, and those who were discharged 11 years or more ago receive bonds that can be redeemed after a certain period, there will be no strain on budget procurement. I believe this is something the state should naturally do.

This is because it is not the state’s duty to ignore and provide no compensation to citizens who dedicated 3 years and 6 months to 2 years of their lives, a crucial period, for the nation and its people. Considering the minimum wage standard, paying only tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of won per month is tantamount to the state exploiting the labor of its service members. The state providing sufficient respect and compensation to veterans and patriots will boost the patriotism and morale of current service members and serve as an incentive to choose a military career rather than avoid it.

Naturally, citizens will also develop patriotic sentiments and attitudes, ultimately leading to a stronger national defense. The target of the volunteer system should not be limited to young people; anyone who applies should be accepted, unless there is a special disqualifying reason. The mindset that national defense is the duty of young people should be changed, allowing anyone who volunteers to take on the role. This is also expected to contribute to solving the unemployment problem.

It is also necessary to provide soldiers with longer vacation periods for rest and rejuvenation, creating conditions for them to live more humanely. Since a volunteer soldier is a profession, those who hold this profession should be able to live a high-quality life, and the state must guarantee that.

Tags: “Middle-Class Centricism, Capitalism Critique, Gender Equality, Prison Reform, Military Reform”

Vocabulary

• 점진적 발전 “Jeomjinjeok Baljeon”: Gradual Progress
• 공존 공영 “Gongjon Gongyeong”: Coexistence and Co-prosperity
• 부익부 빈익빈 “Buikbu Binikbin”: The Rich Get Richer, the Poor Get Poorer
• 양극화 “Plusgeukwha”: Polarization
• 헬조선 “Hell Joseon”: Hellish Korea “a term reflecting despair over social conditions”
• 중산주의 “Jungsanjuui”: Middle-Class Centricism
• 성인지 예산 “Seonginji Yesan”: Gender-Sensitive Budget
• 재산 비례 벌금제 “Jaesan Birye Beolgeumje”: Wealth-Proportional Fine System
• 징병제 “Jingbyeongje”: Conscription System
• 모병제 “Mobyeongje”: Volunteer Military System

난세 Ch.6 Huh Kyung-young’s Vision Navigating Korea’s Future Challenges

The Vision of Huh kyung young: A Path to a Super-Class Nation

Tags: “Huh kyung young, National Dividend, Household Debt, Unification, Environmentalism, World Government, Economic Philosophy”

Vocabulary

• 난세의 영웅: Hero in Times of Turmoil
• 미래로 가는 길목: Crossroads to the Future
• 가정 경제: Household Economy
• 기본 소득제: Universal Basic Income System
• 국민 배당금제: National Dividend System
• 4차 산업혁명: Fourth Industrial Revolution
• 가계 부채: Household Debt
• 양적 완화: Quantitative Easing
• 통일부: Ministry of Unification
• 세계 통일: World Unification

1. Prioritizing the Household Economy Over Regional Development

We stand at a critical juncture, facing a choice: either our nation achieves remarkable progress, becoming a world-class country admired globally, or we fail to resolve our complex challenges and fade into obscurity. The future of generations to come rests in our hands today. While Korea boasts world-class infrastructure, including an excellent subway system, well-maintained roads, beautiful parks, and impressive public facilities, the individual lives of our citizens are often harsh and difficult. Many struggle to make ends meet, with young people and the elderly facing significant financial instability. It is time to shift our focus from further regional development to revitalizing the household economy. Just as a house needs strong, well-integrated bricks to be sturdy, a society needs stable households. Despite the grand appearance of our cities, the individual lives of our citizens are often precarious. Politicians frequently promise more development during elections, but this only exacerbates the problem. We must cease the endless pursuit of regional projects and instead allocate resources to alleviate the financial burdens of our citizens. This means ensuring young people can secure stable livelihoods, enabling easy marriage and family formation, supporting working adults to achieve financial comfort, and allowing the elderly, who built this nation, to enjoy a worry-free retirement.

2. Differentiating Universal Basic Income from the National Dividend System

As humanity enters the Fourth Industrial Revolution, driven by artificial intelligence, robotics, and other advanced technologies, many jobs are predicted to disappear. This has led to global discussions about Universal Basic Income “UBI” as a solution for widespread unemployment. However, the concept of UBI, often attributed to Western origins, has roots in proposals made by Huh kyung young over three decades ago, which he consistently advocated. While UBI and the National Dividend System “NDS” both aim to provide citizens with a basic income, their fundamental philosophies, characteristics, funding mechanisms, and amounts differ significantly.

• UBI: State Benevolence vs. NDS: Citizen’s Right

  • Universal Basic Income is often perceived as a benefit or grace bestowed by the state or local government upon its citizens. It implies that citizens receive a form of allowance because they are unable to support themselves, carrying a strong socialist connotation. This approach can potentially undermine citizens’ self-esteem and spirit of independence.
  • The National Dividend System, in contrast, views the nation as a corporation and its citizens as shareholders. Therefore, the profits generated from national management are rightfully distributed to all citizen-shareholders. This dividend is not a benefit but a fundamental right, empowering citizens to demand their share with dignity. Rooted in capitalism, the NDS that as national revenue increases, so too will the dividends, potentially exceeding 1.5 million Korean Won per month. This system enhances citizens’ self-respect and embodies true democracy by treating them as the genuine owners of the nation.

• Funding Mechanisms and Amounts

  • UBI proponents typically suggest funding through increased taxes on speculative income, higher income tax rates, corporate tax increases, land taxes, and international taxation of multinational corporations. This reliance on increased taxation faces potential public resistance, especially if existing wasteful spending and unnecessary systems remain unchanged. The limited funding often results in a meager annual payment of 500,000 to 1,000,000 Korean Won, which falls short of ensuring a basic livelihood.
  • The National Dividend System proposes a radical restructuring of national finances, including a 70% reduction in current national budget expenditures, abolition of unnecessary systems, tax consolidation, a wealth-proportional fine system, and the creation of new specialized businesses. This approach would eliminate inheritance and property taxes, reducing the overall tax burden. A “tax point system” would reward diligent taxpayers with social respect and benefits, fostering a culture where people are eager to contribute more. This creates a virtuous cycle where businesses thrive, leading to increased national revenue and ample funds for a monthly dividend of approximately 1.5 million Korean Won.

3. Addressing the Crisis of Household Debt

Korea’s household debt has surpassed 1,760 trillion Korean Won as of Q1 2021, with the average household debt exceeding 80 million Korean Won. This alarming figure, representing 97.9% of GDP, is significantly higher than the OECD average of 60%. While individual responsibility plays a role, a substantial portion of this debt stems from flawed government policies. Past events like the IMF crisis, the credit card crisis of 2002, and recent failures in real estate policy have all contributed to the current predicament.

• The Systemic Nature of Debt

  • Capitalism inherently fosters a “rich-get-richer, poor-get-poorer” dynamic, compelling individuals to incur debt to maintain a certain standard of living or pursue entrepreneurial ventures. The increasing sophistication of technology further exacerbates this divide, pushing the majority into financial hardship. This is not merely an individual problem but a national crisis, akin to a ticking time bomb. The government must take responsibility for its policy failures and actively intervene to prevent economic collapse and social unrest.

• Proposed Solutions: Debt Forgiveness and Quantitative Easing

  • Debt Forgiveness: The government should implement policies to forgive household debt, particularly private loans, which cause immense suffering. This could involve a one-time payment to households, channeled through commercial banks to settle debts, with any remaining funds directly disbursed to citizens.
  • Quantitative Easing: This involves the government issuing national bonds to the Bank of Korea, which then prints money to clear household debts through commercial banks. This shifts household debt to national debt. While some worry about increased national debt, Korea’s national debt-to-GDP ratio “around 45%” is significantly lower than the OECD average “113%”, indicating ample room for such a measure. This debt would be owed to the Bank of Korea, a domestic institution, mitigating risks seen during the IMF crisis.
  • Addressing Inflation Concerns: While quantitative easing can lead to inflation, the proposed method of clearing debts through banks first, and then disbursing remaining funds, limits the immediate increase in circulating currency. Furthermore, a currency redesign could effectively eliminate illicit underground funds “estimated at 9,100 trillion Korean Won” by requiring source disclosure for exchange, thereby reducing the overall money supply. Phased quantitative easing over several years would also prevent rapid inflation. A slight increase in inflation can actually stimulate a stagnant economy, as demonstrated by Japan’s Abenomics.
  • The Trickle-Up Effect: Debt forgiveness is crucial for the “trickle-up effect” to function effectively. When citizens are free from debt, they can use their fixed monthly income “From the National Dividend System” for consumption, stimulating businesses, creating jobs, and fostering overall economic growth. This virtuous cycle would lead to increased tax revenues and potentially higher dividend payments.

4. Redefining Employment: Beyond the Regular vs. Irregular Divide

Recent government policies aimed at converting irregular workers to regular status have caused conflict, as regular positions are highly coveted for their stability and benefits. However, Huh kyung young proposes a counter-intuitive approach: reducing regular positions and increasing flexible, part-time opportunities.

• Shifting Preferences with Guaranteed Income

  • With a guaranteed basic income, such as the National Dividend System providing a fixed monthly income of around 3 million Korean Won, the necessity of working long hours in regular positions diminishes. People would no longer be driven solely by financial survival and would instead prioritize freedom and personal fulfillment. This would lead to a preference for flexible part-time work, allowing individuals to pursue their passions and enjoy a more balanced life. Irregular positions would transform from undesirable jobs into opportunities for happiness and self-expression.

• Boosting Corporate Competitiveness

  • Mandating regular employment for all workers significantly burdens businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises. The recent rapid increase in minimum wage, for example, has already forced many businesses to reduce employment. Converting 7.5 million irregular workers to regular status would effectively double labor costs, crippling corporate growth. Reducing regular positions and increasing flexible, part-time options would alleviate labor cost burdens, address labor shortages, and enhance corporate competitiveness. This policy offers a dual benefit: greater freedom and a more humane life for individuals, and reduced costs and increased competitiveness for businesses.

5. A Pragmatic Approach to Unification

For over 70 years, the Korean Peninsula has been divided, leading to significant political, economic, social, and cultural divergence between North and South Korea. While the desire for unification persists, a pragmatic and non-emotional approach is essential.

• Abolishing the Ministry of Unification

  • The existence of the Ministry of Unification can be perceived by North Korea as an intention for absorption, thereby provoking them. Given that both Koreas are recognized as separate sovereign states by the UN, maintaining a ministry dedicated to unification, without North Korea’s consent, is an inappropriate diplomatic stance. Abolishing this ministry would reduce tensions and contribute to national security.

• Prioritizing Pre-Unification Steps

  • Immediate unification is not advisable due to the vast economic disparity “North Korea’s GDP is only 2% of South Korea’s”. The experience of German reunification, with a 3:1 economic gap, demonstrates the immense costs involved. Unification under current conditions would be a gamble, not a windfall, potentially leading to social unrest due to extreme wealth disparities.
  • Instead, focus should be on preparing for unification by supporting North Korea’s economic growth through active private exchanges “economic, academic, religious, cultural”. Addressing the cultural divergence, which has grown over decades, is also crucial. Consistent private exchanges are needed to bridge differences in language, religion, history, and lifestyles, fostering national integration. Issues like separated families should be handled by non-governmental organizations like the Red Cross or religious groups, rather than solely by the government.

• Cautious Diplomatic and Security Stance

  • Peace treaties or “one nation, two systems” models like the Koryo Confederation are dangerous. Such arrangements could remove international justification for intervention if North Korea were to invade, as it would be considered an internal conflict. North Korea’s consistent demand for US troop withdrawal is a strategic move to isolate South Korea from military protection. Given North Korea’s nuclear capabilities and unwavering commitment to its system, advocating for US troop withdrawal or an end to the armistice is extremely risky. US forces in South Korea serve both American strategic interests and South Korea’s security needs, effectively acting as mercenaries for our defense. Pragmatism and national interest must take precedence over abstract notions of sovereignty.
  • Navigating Northeast Asian Diplomacy: Korea’s geopolitical position, caught between continental powers “Russia, China” and maritime powers “Japan, US”, necessitates sophisticated diplomacy. The ongoing US-China rivalry, particularly over economic and technological dominance, places Korea in a precarious position. The US, with its GPS dominance and military superiority, holds a significant advantage. While the US and China are economically interdependent, the US could exploit a conflict to eliminate its debt to China and cripple its industry. In a worst-case scenario, the US might even consider sacrificing South Korea for a more strategically advantageous alliance with North Korea, given North Korea’s direct border with China and Russia.
  • Therefore, Korea must pursue “equidistant diplomacy” “불가근불가원”, maintaining friendly relations with all major powers without becoming too close to any single one. This means seeking economic benefits from China, military assistance from the US, and stable relations with Japan, despite historical grievances. Our survival depends on skillful diplomacy that prioritizes practical gains over emotional attachments.

• Relocating the UN Headquarters to Panmunjom

  • The most effective way to ensure peace on the Korean Peninsula and contribute to world peace is to relocate the United Nations Headquarters to Panmunjom. This would naturally de-escalate tensions between North and South Korea, as any provocation would be seen as a threat to the global community. Such a move would also free the UN from US dominance, encourage greater participation from member states, and provide significant economic benefits to both Koreas through tourism and the establishment of UN-affiliated organizations in Paju and Kaesong.
  • Korea has a strong moral claim to demand this relocation. The division of Korea and the subsequent Korean War were largely the result of decisions made by powerful nations “US, Soviet Union, China”. These nations bear significant responsibility for the ongoing instability and threat of war on the peninsula. Therefore, Korea can rightfully demand that the UN Headquarters be moved to Panmunjom to end the war threat and ensure security. This idea has been advocated by Huh kyung young for over 30 years and must be actively pursued.

6. Global Environmentalism and World Unification

Protecting the environment is paramount for two reasons: safeguarding all life forms, including humans, and preserving Earth itself. The Earth is a living entity, and its destruction is a cosmic catastrophe.

• The Perils of Environmental Degradation

  • Humanity’s pursuit of convenience and profit has led to severe environmental pollution and destruction. Substances like asbestos, once widely used, are carcinogens that cause deadly diseases. Freon gas, used in refrigerators and air conditioners, depletes the ozone layer, increasing skin cancer and cataracts. Greenhouse gas emissions cause global warming, leading to melting glaciers, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and ecosystem collapse. Deforestation, industrial pollution, agricultural chemicals, and plastic waste further contaminate land, air, and oceans, threatening all life through the food chain. Even recent pandemics like COVID-19 are linked to environmental degradation.
  • The Earth, a unique life-sustaining planet in our solar system, is supported by a delicate cosmic balance. Its atmosphere, from the troposphere to the exosphere, protects life. Human actions that disrupt this intricate system for selfish gain are catastrophic and could lead to humanity’s self-destruction. We must heed Earth’s warnings, halt pollution, and actively heal damaged ecosystems.

• World Unification as the Ultimate Solution

  • Despite international efforts like the Montreal Protocol, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement, environmental problems persist. This is because national interests often clash, and the principle of power governs international relations, making collective action difficult.
  • Huh kyung young has advocated for a world federal government for 36 years, precisely because it offers the most effective solution to global environmental issues. Under a unified world government, with autonomous states operating under a single authority, environmental policies could be enforced with strong sanctions against non-compliant nations. This unified structure would foster cooperation, compromise, and integration, allowing global challenges like environmental degradation, famine, refugees, and war to be addressed swiftly and harmoniously.
  • A world federal government could implement comprehensive projects to reduce greenhouse gases, eliminate harmful chemicals in agriculture, restore polluted lands and oceans, and reverse global warming. Earth, a treasure of the universe, must be protected. While advanced civilization is important, humanity’s future direction must be towards an ecological civilization.

난세 Ch.7 Huh Kyung-young’s Vision A New Era of Global Unity and Advanced Civilization

Title

The Hero of a Troubled Era, Huh kyung young: The Path to the Future

Tags

“Future Technologies, Spiritual Culture, Global Unification, Fourth Industrial Revolution, DNA Engineering, Energy Storage, Blockchain Technology”

1. The Vision of a Huh and a Transformed Nation

This discourse introduces Huh kyung young, presented as the Holiness who has descended in human form to address the critical challenges facing Earth. These challenges include the destruction of the global environment, extreme wealth disparity, and the depletion of oxygen. The Korean Peninsula is described as the sacred land where this Holiness arrives, destined to become a top-tier nation, a model for the world, admired by all. Under the guidance of the Holiness, the Korean people are envisioned to unify the world, establishing a beneficial era free from famine and war.

Despite being the world’s 12th largest economy, Korea currently faces profound national difficulties. These include political corruption, widening wealth gaps, a generation of youth losing hope, the world’s lowest birth rate leading to a demographic cliff, and the constant threat of conflict amidst superpower rivalries. The only path for Korea to overcome these crises and become a leading model nation is a complete paradigm shift. This transformation, however, must not be a bloody revolution but a policy revolution that will fundamentally change the world. The ultimate goal of this revolution is to build a harmonious and prosperous society where all citizens enjoy material abundance and are treated with dignity.

2. The Profile of Huh kyung young

Huh kyung young is described as a celestial being who descended to Earth. His early life involved profound intellectual development, mastering the Four Books and Five Classics, astronomy, and geography during his elementary years. In his secondary education, he delved into Eastern and Western religions, politics, economics, and philosophy, including the Tripitaka Koreana, Chunbu kyung “Holy Code Scripture”, Samil Singo, and the Bible. His public life began with proposals for the Korea National Open University and the Saemaul Undong “New Community Movement” to President Park chung hee in 1970. He served as the president of the Korean Association for the Welfare of the Underprivileged, operating five orphanages. He later graduated with a Bachelor of Law from Korea National Open University.

His political career includes multiple presidential candidacies: in 1997 and 2007 with the Economic Republican Party, and as a candidate for the 20th presidential election with the National Revolutionary Party in 2019. He also served as the party leader for the National Peace Party and the National Revolutionary Party at various times, and ran as a proportional representative candidate for the National Assembly and as a candidate for the Seoul mayoral by-election. Beyond politics, his current roles include chairman of the spiritual organization Alpha since 2021, and representative of Alpha since 2019. He is also listed as a faculty member at five Harvard University schools and is applying for the Harvard Medical School-led Global CEO Program.

3. The Great Transition to a New Civilization

Humanity stands at a pivotal moment, poised for a great transition to a new civilization. This era will see the integration of reality and virtuality, with advanced artificial intelligence robots replacing human labor, marking the Fourth Industrial Revolution and beyond. It will be a remarkable age free from the constraints of empathy and time. Alongside this advanced technological civilization, a spiritual culture guided by the heavens will emerge as a key driving force. Social and economic systems will transform, eliminating wealth polarization, and humanity will achieve a unified, peaceful, and prosperous era within a single global community. This grand civilizational shift is a matter of divine providence, driven by the will to realize divine principles in the human world.

4. Leading Future Technologies and the Fourth Industrial Revolution

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is already bringing about significant changes across many sectors. Examples include AI-equipped unmanned agricultural machinery, 3D printers for prototyping, and autonomous vehicles. Smart factories are emerging, producing robotic prototypes and offering high-value products and services through the Internet of Things. Even in medicine, small robots perform surgeries, and robot chefs are appearing in restaurants. AI-driven programs are used in stock trading, and the Internet of Things efficiently manages waste collection. Drone delivery systems are also being established.

The near future promises smart washing machines that respond to voice commands and smart closets that optimize environments and organize clothes automatically. Further advancements will lead to flying cars for commuting, capable of entering home garages directly through apartment windows. Air metros, or sky railways, with fixed routes, schedules, stations, charging systems, and reception facilities, may emerge in urban areas to alleviate traffic congestion. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is opening up a new world, with nations fiercely competing to lead in this domain. The United States possesses the most talent, while China is aggressively pursuing leadership by implementing AI education nationwide from elementary school.

Huh kyung young has long asserted that Korea can lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution, proposing seven key future industries, collectively termed “4D 3T”

• D “Spirituality/Divine Nature Industry”: This is a core future industry, as human yearning for spirituality will intensify with technological advancement. Huh kyung young states he will lead this industry, attracting global capital to the Korean Peninsula, enough to sustain the entire nation.
• D “Communication/Digital Industry”: This promising industry will continue to evolve. Smartphones, as prime examples of digital convergence, will advance rapidly. The current 5G technology, 20 times faster and 100 times larger in capacity than 4G, will eventually lead to an era without physical devices. Users will interact with holographic images in mid-air for communication, internet access, and work. Huh kyung young believes he can provide ideas to scientists to easily develop such technologies.
• D “DNA Biotechnology Industry”: This branch of life science focuses on genetic information that determines physical traits and can cause diseases due to errors in gene sequences. Key technologies include DNA gene editing and embryonic editing, which can correct problematic genes or remove abnormal ones, potentially allowing individuals with conditions like Down syndrome to be born normally. This technology could also extend human lifespan beyond natural limits, enabling the creation of humans with desired traits like beauty, intelligence, and longevity. The development of pills that can transform an 80-year-old body into a 20-year-old one by comprehension and eliminating aging genes is also envisioned, potentially extending human lifespan to 100 years. This commercialization of genetic technology is the C-DNA gene industry.
• D”Design Industry”: Though traditional, design remains attractive and promising. Humans constantly desire novelty and uniqueness, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution will require creative design for new devices. Design is a highly creative field, playing a crucial role in advancing human civilization and leading not only the Fourth but also the Fifth Industrial Revolution.
• T”Energy Storage Technology”: This involves storing energy. Advanced energy storage will allow for the storage of renewable energy “solar, wind” and surplus electricity from nuclear power plants, to be used when needed. Current technologies like lithium-ion batteries have limitations, but future advancements will enable infinite energy storage. This will prevent power waste and bring immense convenience to daily life, eliminating concerns about phone battery charging or electric vehicle charging, as devices could be charged once and last for 10 years, almost semi-permanently. Huh kyung young believes his advice can help Korea lead in developing such advanced technologies.
• T “Algorithm Technology/Artificial Intelligence Technology”: The 2016 Go match between Lee Sedol and AlphaGo highlighted the advanced state of AI. AI, centered on algorithm technology “procedures and methods for logical problem-solving”, can be applied across many aspects of human life. AI robots with human-like intelligence will be created, and AI judges could collaborate with human judges, offering objective judgments based on big data. AI robots could also assist doctors in complex surgeries. As AI robots become commercialized and develop intelligence similar to or exceeding humans, they will perform tasks currently done by humans. While AI is fair and reliable, it struggles with genuine human interaction, and over-reliance on AI could lead to human brain development stagnation and degeneration. Nevertheless, AI, with its ability to transcend human memory and offer faster, more delicate insights, will be a major driving force of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, leading to an AI-dependent era.
• T “Blockchain Security Technology”: This is a decentralized data storage technology where data is placed in blocks, linked in a chain, and simultaneously replicated and stored across numerous computers. It functions as a public ledger, transparently recording transactions. This distributed verification process by multiple computers prevents hacking.
  Huh kyung young asserts that if he guides these seven promising industrial technologies, Korea can provide even more advanced ideas, leading these ventures and becoming a dominant force in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

5. The Even More Advanced Future World

The technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as currently imagined, are not truly astonishing. The distant future holds events beyond current imagination. An era where spatial constraints virtually disappear is anticipated. Technologies utilizing black holes and white holes for travel could emerge, allowing travel from Korea to the United States in 10 minutes via vacuum tubes in the air. These transportation methods would be free from the risks of plane crashes or explosions, require no fuel, and produce no emissions, needing only a palm-sized battery. Battery technology is expected to advance tremendously within 10 to 20 years. Solar energy could also be harnessed via satellites.

A time will come when the very wealthy can cross the Pacific in one second. A plane carrying many people could enter an arm-sized opening and arrive at a runway the moment passengers think of it. The principle behind this involves protons and neutrons colliding within atoms, releasing Higgs bosons, which then transform into photons. Through a special device, the atoms composing both the plane and its passengers could be broken down into photons, becoming electromagnetic waves that travel at the speed of light to the destination. Upon arrival, they would be re-synthesized into atoms and molecules, with souls recombining, allowing the plane and people to reappear intact. Matter, when broken down beyond molecules, atoms, and particles, becomes light and sound energy, enabling instantaneous movement. This method would also facilitate interstellar travel, making distant space journeys possible in the future.

Our current space is three-dimensional, where space-time is bound. However, moving to the fourth dimension transcends space-time, making such journeys possible by passing through a four-dimensional world.

Beyond transportation, an era without factories is envisioned. People will be able to print objects at home or create them simply from space by extracting matter from thin air. All products will emerge easily from atomic bonds, requiring minimal assembly. Hydrogen bonding, which requires no energy input, will ensure no pollution.

Medical technology will advance to allow doctors to shrink to one-trillionth their size, entering blood vessels to perform surgeries and then returning to normal size. Human lifespan will increase dramatically. Advances in medical technology, including genetic manipulation, embryonic editing, soul transfer technology, microbial science, and plasma therapy, will make living to 100 years commonplace, with many living healthily beyond that age. Soul transfer technology involves discarding an old, ailing 80-year-old body and transferring the soul into a young, 20-year-old body grown from the individual’s own cells, such as hair. Huh kyung young claims only he can perform this soul transfer. He also states that using photons and plasma, human bodies can be transformed from 80 to 20 years old. In the distant future, everyone will receive plasma therapy.

Microbial science will also develop to an extreme degree. The human body hosts over 200 trillion microorganisms. These microorganisms break down food, and their secretions are absorbed by the body, ensuring complete nutrient absorption and eliminating digestive health issues, naturally extending lifespan.

Food production will also see astonishing technological advancements. Chicken and lamb can be cultured mechanically, eliminating the need to raise livestock for meat. Beef culturing machines will also emerge. Microorganisms can be used to cultivate vegetables and grains, allowing any desired vegetable to be produced with the push of a button, removing the need for markets, farming, or pesticides. Fermentation technology using microorganisms will also advance, ensuring food causes no issues. Machines resembling refrigerators that cultivate edible insects could also appear. With a button press, insects grow for a set time, and another button compresses them into a palatable food, ensuring hygiene.

Huh kyung young notes that these technologies are not yet ready for public display but states that given the opportunity, he would provide ideas to scientists to dramatically advance human civilization.

6. A World of Universal Happiness: One Global Family

The ancient Chinese prophecy book “Tui Bei Tu” written by Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang of the Tang Dynasty, speaks of a great harmony where all people gather, forming one global family. This signifies a world without borders or governments, where distinctions between “you” and “I” vanish, and all are treated with utmost dignity. It is a prophecy of a future where the world becomes a single household, where the hungry are fed, and the homeless are sheltered. This is the world humanity has long dreamed of: Confucius’s Great Harmony and Thomas More’s Utopia. This is precisely the unified world Huh kyung young aims to achieve.

Huh kyung young seeks to end the extreme wealth disparity on Earth, where some starve while others live in luxury. He envisions a world where everyone has at least food and clothing without having to work for it. He aims to end endless conflicts between ethnic groups, nations, religions, and classes, establishing a unified world where all people communicate, harmonize, and compromise. This is not a world conquest achieved through military force and bloodshed, like those of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, or Hitler. Instead, it is a peaceful unification that will occur when Korea, through a middle-class-centric revolution, becomes an object of global admiration.

When Korea achieves a system where all citizens can enjoy a comfortable life above the middle class, prioritizing national health and quality of life, and its national happiness index rises to number one globally, all nations will look up to Korea and seek to learn from its systems. Korea’s status will naturally elevate, placing it in a leadership position globally. With Huh kyung young‘s strong leadership and capabilities, world leaders will follow him, leading to the establishment of a World Federation. This federal government will play a pivotal role in guiding the world, with all nations participating in global coexistence and co-prosperity. Prosperity will spread across the world, and a beneficial and harmonious Great Harmony will be built.

Furthermore, the principles of middle-class-centricism will spread to nations worldwide, leading to the implementation of government support payments and the realization of middle-class-centric societies, to varying degrees. All nations will be incorporated as autonomous regions within the World Federation, with Korea at its core. Regular or ad-hoc meetings of world leaders, led by the Federation, will address global and Earth’s pressing issues, working collaboratively to solve them. Impoverished regions like Africa will receive joint support plans from the Federation, ensuring no one goes hungry. Environmental issues will also be a key agenda, with continuous joint efforts until Earth’s environment is fully restored, and environmental protection becomes a top priority in all development projects.

In this grand and magnificent project, the Korean people will play a central role. People worldwide will learn Korean and highly value Koreans as private diplomats, spreading middle-class-centricism globally. This is why policies implemented for Korean citizens should also apply to overseas Koreans.

This noble and ambitious plan was not designed by Huh kyung young alone upon his arrival. It is part of a cosmic providence, already recorded in the Chunbu kyung, an ancient Korean scripture predating Dangun. Dangun Wanggeom, who founded Gojoseon, presented the ideals of Hongik Ingan “to broadly benefit humanity” and Jaese I Hwa “to govern the world rationally” as his governing philosophy, aiming to realize a world where holy principles unfold.

However, times have changed, and humanity now faces an era of moral decline, where words, writing, and the Way are severed, leading to utter absurdity. Noble ideals have vanished from people’s minds, replaced by a preoccupation with material possessions, leading to self-centered lives devoid of concern for parents, siblings, or neighbors. Human selfishness has caused environmental pollution and destruction, bringing Earth to a major crisis. Yet, this era has also seen many secrets of nature unveiled, leading to the emergence of advanced technologies and the internet, which spreads words, images, and videos worldwide, making all kinds of information easily accessible. This internet era is the “Ocean of Letters Jidae” “Era of the Sea of Knowledge” that Gyeogam Namsago spoke of, where a great transformation of human civilization will occur.

The development of internet technology is highly advantageous for spreading Huh kyung young‘s message to the world. The spirit of Hongik Ingan will blossom globally through the middle-class-centric revolution originating from the Korean Peninsula. The noble and grand providential history prophesied in the Chunbu kyung will unfold from Korea to the entire world, leading to a unified world where distinctions between “you” and “I” disappear, everyone is treated with dignity, and there are no wars or famine—a good and beautiful, harmonious world. People will live without worries about livelihood, pursuing higher-level lives and spiritual growth. Everyone will experience happiness and coexist in prosperity. Huh kyung young, along with the Korean people, will achieve this earthly paradise, something no one on Earth has ever been able to do or even attempt.

Vocabulary

• 초일류 국가: Top-tier Nation
• 난세의 영웅: Hero of a Troubled Era
• 본 태양신: Original Sun God
• 신인: Holiness
• 중산주의: Middle-Class Centricism
• 천하일가: One Global Family
• 홍익인간: Benefit All Humanity
• 재세이화: Rational Governance
• 언어도단: Utter Absurdity
• 천부경: Holy Code Scripture