Scholar’s Journey: She Gave Up Academia for Faith

Measuring a religion by its people: The educational legacy of Choi Won-bok and the amazing life journey she chose in impoverished post-war South Korea

When religious organizations become the subject of public controversy, discussions often revolve around court cases, politics, finances, or doctrine. Much less attention is paid to another, perhaps more fundamental, question: What kind of people has the religion produced? If a religious movement has influenced generations of individuals, should its legacy not also be judged by the lives of those who were shaped by its ideals?

See also part 2: Educational Legacy: Character Before Achievement

See also Example of 2 Unificationists in Public Service

See also The Gospel of Service in One Woman’s Life

See also Architect of Seongnam Ilhwa’s Amazing Success

See also Building Bridges Across Korea’s Religious Divide

See also Crossing the Walls of Religion

That is the question explored by South Korean religion journalist Jeong Seong-su (정성수) in a column published in the daily newspaper Segye Ilbo on 24^th July 2026. Rather than discussing legal disputes surrounding the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (in Korea often referred to as Unificationism), Jeong turns to the life of Choi Won-bok (최원복 – 1916–2006), arguing that her career offers an important perspective on the movement‘s contribution to Korean society.

For readers outside Korea, Choi Won-bok may be an unfamiliar name. Yet within Korean educational circles, she was respected as a gifted educator, linguist, and later principal of Sunhwa Arts Middle and High School (선화예술중·고등학교), one of South Korea’s best-known arts schools. During her years as principal, the school educated numerous students who later achieved distinction in music, dance, and the performing arts, including internationally acclaimed soprano Sumi Jo (조수미).

Jeong argues that Choi’s significance lies not simply in her association with the Family Federation, but in the way she embodied educational ideals throughout her life. Before becoming one of the movement‘s senior members, she had already established herself as a successful academic. According to the columnist, this makes her an instructive example when considering the broader cultural and educational legacy of a religious movement that is today often discussed almost exclusively in political or legal terms.

Born in 1916 in Kaesong – today located in North Korea – during Japan’s colonial rule over Korea, Choi displayed exceptional academic ability from an early age. She graduated with honors in English literature and later pursued advanced studies in linguistics and language education at the University of Michigan in the United States. At a time when relatively few Korean women studied abroad or held university teaching positions, she returned to Korea to become a professor of English at Ehwa Women’s University (이화여대), one of the country’s most prestigious institutions.

By every conventional measure, she appeared destined for an outstanding academic career.

Yet Jeong emphasizes that personal ambition was never the driving force behind her decisions. Throughout her youth she demonstrated a strong concern for justice and compassion for others. As a student she participated in Korea’s independence movement (독립운동) [See editor’s note below] against Japanese colonial rule and was imprisoned for her activism. Stories from her student years describe her quietly sharing financial awards with classmates who were struggling instead of keeping them herself.

Perhaps most revealing, according to Jeong, was her spiritual search. After graduating from university, Choi reportedly prayed for months with a simple request: that if God truly existed, He would reveal Himself personally and show her the path she should follow. The columnist presents this as evidence that she valued truth above personal advancement or intellectual achievement.

That search eventually led her, somewhat unexpectedly, to the newly established Unification Church.

Ironically, her first visit had not been motivated by religious interest. University administrators had asked her to investigate why some students were attending meetings of the small and little-known movement. Instead of relying on rumors or second-hand reports, she chose to examine its teachings herself.

After hearing the movement’s message firsthand, she reached a conclusion that would dramatically change her life.

Her decision to join the church soon created an unavoidable conflict with her university career. Ehwa Women’s University required her to choose between remaining on the faculty or continuing her new religious affiliation. She could not do both.

She chose her faith and resigned from the university.

Jeong acknowledges that this decision represented a major personal sacrifice. As a respected professor with an international education, Choi enjoyed both prestige and professional security. Leaving such a position meant surrendering a promising academic career.

Continued in part 2: Educational Legacy: Character Before Achievement

See also Example of 2 Unificationists in Public Service

See also The Gospel of Service in One Woman’s Life

See also Architect of Seongnam Ilhwa’s Amazing Success

See also Building Bridges Across Korea’s Religious Divide

See also Crossing the Walls of Religion

See also The Kingdom Within

Text: Knut Holdhus, editor

Featured image above: Choi Won-bok in 1973 in the USA. Photo: FFWPU

[Editor’s note: The Korean independence movement (독립운동, Dongnip Undong) was a broad struggle to free Korea from Japanese colonial rule, which lasted from 1910 to 1945. It encompassed peaceful protests, diplomatic efforts, cultural preservation, education, and armed resistance, involving Koreans both on the peninsula and throughout East Asia.

Japan formally annexed Korea in 1910, ending the Korean Empire. The colonial government imposed strict political control while promoting the assimilation of Koreans into Japanese society. Many Koreans resisted these policies by establishing schools, newspapers, and religious organizations that sought to preserve Korean language, culture, and national identity.

A defining moment came on 1^st March 1919, when Korean leaders issued a Declaration of Independence, inspiring peaceful demonstrations across the country. Millions participated in what became known as the March First Movement (3·1 운동). Although the protests were largely nonviolent, Japanese authorities responded with severe repression, killing and imprisoning thousands of participants. Despite its immediate failure to achieve independence, the movement attracted international attention and strengthened Korean nationalism.

Following the March First Movement, Korean leaders established the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai, China. It coordinated diplomatic efforts and supported resistance activities abroad. At the same time, armed independence fighters operated in Manchuria, Siberia, and parts of China, engaging Japanese forces in a series of guerrilla campaigns. Korean independence activists also cooperated with Chinese nationalist forces and, later, with the Allied powers during the Second World War.

Japan’s defeat in August 1945 brought an end to colonial rule. However, Korea was divided along the 38th parallel, with Soviet forces occupying the north and American forces the south. This temporary division eventually led to the establishment of two separate states in 1948 – the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) – making the legacy of the independence movement central to the historical identity of both countries.]

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