From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
South Korean pastor and pro-reunification activist
Moon Ik-hwan
(June 2, 1918 – January 18, 1994) was a South Korean
pastor
,
theologian
,
poet
, and
activist
engaged in various social movements. He was also the father of
Moon Sung-keun
, a noted actor in South Korea.
[1]
[2]
Early life and education
[
edit
]
He was born in
Longjing, Jilin
as the first son of the Reverend, Moon Jae-rin and mother, Shin Sin-muk. He had two brothers and two sisters. He and his brother became pastors. He was raised in
Bukgando
where
Korean independence movement
was centered. After finishing up education at Myeongdong Elementary school and Eunjin Middle school that ethnic Koreans established, Moon went to Sungsil Middle School in
Pyongyang
, and then Yongjeong Gwangmyeong School in Bukgando. Although Moon Ik-hwan entered
Tokyo Union Theological Seminary
in Japan, he was dismissed from the school because of his refusal to enlist himself to Japanese army. He then transferred to Bongcheon Seminary (奉天神學校) in
Manchuria
and served as a preacher at a Korean church. In 1947, he graduated Hansin University and received the
imposition of hands
. After he earned his master's degree from
Princeton Theological Seminary
in the United States, he returned to South Korea and began to lecture the
Old Testament
at
Yonsei University
and
Hanshin University
.
[3]
Later, he worked on translating the Old Testament until he devoted himself on unification of two Koreas and democracy of South Korea.
Career
[
edit
]
| This section
needs expansion
. You can help by
adding to it
.
(
November 2008
)
|
Moon worked as the main chief for the translation on the Old Testament by a joint collaboration of the Protestant and Catholic church in South Korea for 8 years. Moon was imprisoned in 1976 for dissident activities
[3]
and again in 1986 for his alleged encouragement of student activists at Seoul National University and his leadership in the protest at Inch'on in May of that year.
[4]
(3·1民主救國宣言).
[3]
According to the
New York Times
:
Moon was jailed five times, for a total of 10 years, for dissident activities. In the spring of 1993 he was released early from a five-year sentence for making an unapproved visit to North Korea, where he spoke with leaders about the possibility of unification, in 1989. South Korean law bars contacts with Communists without prior approval.
[5]
References
[
edit
]