Seodaemun Prison, Cheongpa-dong, Cheon Bok Geun
Hello viewers of the Generation Peace Academy blog, this is your one and only, Koji Torikai, reporting for duty. I will be one of your many bloggers to show what GPA did during our time in Korea.
This was Day 1 of our pilgrimage and it was absolutely amazing. To start off our Korea trip, we got on buses and went to Seodaemun prison. Father was sent to this prison before establishing the Cheongpa-dong church three months after his release. This prison holds such beautiful significance and importance to the Korean people, as it was used during the time of the Japanese colonial rule. We walked around and saw all the small empty jail cells where they used to hold 20-40 people, the torture devices and methods that the Japanese used, and the conditions the Korean people were in. It was a unique opportunity to be educated about the history of Seodaemun prison.
Afterwards, we got our butts on another bus to drive to the Cheongpa-dong church, the original headquarters of the Unification Church. It was such an honor and blessing to be able to visit this building, as a lot of important, providential events took place in this church, such as True Parent’s engagement ceremony and their Holy Wedding. As a 2nd-generation member of this movement, to be able to sit in the same room where the Holy Wedding took place, I was incredibly grateful. I even saw the same banner that was behind True Parents during their wedding. Walking on such a rich foundation and seeing the roots of our church was just a beautiful experience for us all.
Lastly, we got on another bus! This time, we went to the Cheon Bok Geun/the main church building in Seoul. Instantly, we were greeted by statues of Jesus Christ, Buddha, Confucius, and the Quran. We were able to walk around the facility, drink some coffee from their cafes, and even pray in their Cheon Shim Won. Going from the Cheongpa-dong church to this massive building, it was moving to see the fruits of True Parent’s labor—to see how far they’ve come from such humble beginnings. I don’t think there’s a single property in America that beats this facility.
Overall, everyone had a fun time—learning so much about Korea and our church’s history. I wish you guys were there to see it all, but hopefully this blog can do some justice to our experiences.
