8,000 Couples Worldwide Join in Unification Church's Mass Wedding

On May 7, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, also known as the Unification Church, announced that 8,000 couples from 150 countries participated in a joint international wedding ceremony. The ceremony, named the "2023 Hyojeong Cosmic Blessing Festival of the True Parents of Heaven, Earth, and Humankind," was officiated by President Han Hak Ja and held in multiple countries, including Korea, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

In addition to the physical locations, the event was broadcasted online through the HJ Global Art Center, allowing for broader participation. About 30,000 people, including 1,500 bride and groom couples and guests, gathered at the event site located in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do.

This ceremony marked the first time in three years since February 2020 that the Unification Church held a joint wedding ceremony with a large number of attendees. In 2021 and 2022, the ceremony was conducted non-face-to-face or with a limited number of attendees due to quarantine guidelines.

The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification was founded in 1961 by Sun Myung Moon (1920-2012) and President Han Hak Ja, with 36 unified domestic weddings officiated by the founders.