Unificationist Institution Brings Holistic Healing

“I was working as an acupuncturist in a psychiatric clinic for five years,” says Dr. Sang Hyun Lee, a longtime Unificationist. “Many of our clients who had depression, ADHD, and even insomnia saw reduced effects with acupuncture treatment. This inspired me to get more involved and come to Wongu University.”

For the past five months, Dr. Lee has been at the helm of new ideas and planning as the academic dean at Wongu University. The Las Vegas institution has been advancing the practice of Oriental Medicine (OM) since its founding by True Parents in 2012.

“We’ve reached out to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for support on the campus,” says Dr. Lee, “and we’ve proposed and communicated with the staff to be more involved in the mental health community.”

Over the past decade, Wongu University has built its community reputation around the world-class holistic health and wellness education it offers to graduate students. With 30 alumni to date, and 40 current students, it's a small program seeking to generate more interest in traditional Oriental Medicine in the West and expand its roster of students.

“This is a four-year Master’s program,” says Dr. Lee. “Our graduates take the national board exam to get licensed and start practicing acupuncture and herbal remedies and formulas. It’s a robust curriculum with four main areas of focus: Oriental Medicine (including Korean traditional medicine), Western Medicine, Acupuncture, and Herbology.”

True Parents, both natives of North Korea, established Wongu University to provide students with a comprehensive historical and modern Oriental Medicine education with the hopes of increasing the number of licensed practitioners. This, in turn, serves the community with access to OM healing therapies and creates greater awareness of such treatments from the Far East.

“During my early life, I saw many people suffering from malnutrition or whose lives were broken by injury or disease,” recalls True Mother in her best-selling memoir, Mother of Peace (2020). “At age 16, when I entered St. Joseph's Nursing School, I felt joy and pride, knowing I had found exactly what I needed to do.”

Still, True Parents remained committed to bringing quality healthcare to the people of Korea and opened the JH Magnolia International Medical Center overlooking Cheong Pyeong Lake in 2003. With this same heart and vision, they opened Wongu University years later in America.

“Does faith in God truly enhance our health?” True Mother asks in her memoir. “The answer to this question is not difficult. For good health, the harmony of our mind and body is an important agent of healing, and faith is what allows us to realize that harmony... God gave us the blessing to ‘be fruitful,’ That does not only refer to producing offspring or generating material prosperity. It means to have spiritual, psychological and physical health.”

Holistic healthcare is increasing in popularity among Americans, according to a nationwide study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as a report from Pew Research revealing about half of Americans have tried alternative medicine, such as herbal remedies, acupuncture, and chiropractic treatment. In 2021, prominent consulting firm McKinsey & Company projected a future $1.5 trillion wellness market.

”We want to share these traditional practices and services with more people and show them the impact it has,” says Dr. Lee. He is leading community outreach events introducing Wongu University and its program to the greater Las Vegas network. There is now a recurring program for mind and body wellness offered the first Friday of each month at the Harrison House, with more pop-up sessions around the community in the works.”

“We want to share Oriental Medicine with underserved members of the community,” says Dr. Lee, “and also educate more people and recruit new students. I hope we can emphasize the great healing that can come from Oriental Medicine.”

Dr. Lee says Wongu University is also exploring participation in week-long medical missionary trips to Cambodia and Brazil.

You can learn more about Wongu University, including information about enrollment, here.