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the controversy surrounding him and his movement. Numerous press reports
have raised the issue of whether the UC and other nonprofit Moon Organizations
were actually vehicles for the enhancement of Moon's personal wealth and
served to channel funds to Moon Organization businesses.
Spokesmen for the Moon Organization have attempted to create the
impression that, to the extent there is a relationship, the businesses contribute to
the religious movement and not the reverse. However, the flow was in fact two
ways. For example, when a commercial enterprise was beginning, funds were
transferred to it from the UC directly or indirectly. After it began to prosper, it
contributed to the religious or nonprofit side of the Moon Organization. The Moon
Organization's economic system provided substantial advantages to its various
components. The religious side provided inexpensive and ready sources of labor;
access to large amounts of untaxed liquid assets; and a wide-ranging,
inexpensive marketing network. The commercial side provided additional funds,
power, and influence.
The economic advantages of controlling a bloc of consumers were also not
missed by Moon. In a speech he instructed his followers to obey his orders so
that the movement could become economically powerful:
"In the future don't buy American products if Master says to buy from
somewhere else. If you believe in what he says, you practice it, you will become
the wealthiest people and the wealthiest nations, but not necessarily on earth.
Buy from the company he designates in the future. It doesn't matter if it is a small
or large item. Soon that product will be the one manufactured by us. We have to
buy that one. Then the world or universal economy will come to us." (556)
The investigation of Moon-related businesses shows that they are totally
interrelated with noncommercial components of the Moon Organization. There is
a pattern of interlocking directors, officers, and stockholders. The
interrelationship of the businesses with the UC and other components of the
Moon Organization is made explicit in internal UC publications, where there are
frequent references to the "family" businesses, as they are called.
There is evidence that the Moon businesses do not always respect the laws
of the countries in which they operate. Most of the allegations involving the
United States are reviewed in the financial
373
transactions section below; prosecution of Il Hwa officers in Korea has already
been discussed.
Financial transactions
The growth and operation of the Moon Organization required substantial
sums of money. This was true for both its commercial and noncommercial
components. From 1973, it does not appear that finances were ever a serious
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