Religion in South Korea Church or Unificationism (통일교 "Tongilgyo") is a new religious movement founded in South Korea in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon. Since its founding, the church has expanded throughout the world with most members living in East Asia. Unificationist beliefs are derived from the Christian Bible and are explained in the church's textbook, the "Divine Principle". It teaches that God is the creator and Heavenly Father, whose dual nature combines both masculinity and femininity and whose centre is true love. The Unification Church has sponsored many organizations and projects over the years; including businesses, news media, projects in education and the
Sun Myung Moon stance. In the 1990s when Moon began to offer the Unification Church marriage blessing ceremony to members of other churches and religions he was criticized for creating possible confusion. In 1998, journalist Peter Maass reported that some Unification Church members were dismayed and grumbled when Moon extended the Blessing to non-members because they had not gone through the same course that members had. In 2001, the Unification Church came into conflict with the Roman Catholic Church when Catholic archbishop Emmanuel Milingo and Maria Sung, a 43-year-old Korean acupuncturist, married in a Unification Church Blessing ceremony, presided over by Rev. and