BBC Broadcast of fascinating historical eye witness account by UPF's Antonio Betancourt about aspects of the life & death of Kim Il Sung London, United Kingdom

Yesterday (July 8th) BBC World Service Radio broadcast a fascinating 20 minute programme based upon the testimony of Antonio Bettancourt, who is Director of UPF’s International Office of Peace & Security Affairs in Washington D.C. in which they clearly identify him as a UC member. On the 20th Anniversary of Kim Il Sung’s death, BBC World Service put together a programme on the death of Kim based on Antonio Bettancourt’s relationship with Kim and unique eyewitness testimony of many visits to North Korea as True Parents’ Special Envoy and 5 different meetings with Kim. It is part of a series on historical events in the world, with witnesses who have seen history in the making. On the day of Kim Il Sung’s death Antonio was in North Korea to finalize negotiations for the opening of an office for the forerunner of UPF (“Federation for World Peace”) in Pyongyang. That project had been approved by Kim Il Sung himself. The day he was supposed to sign the papers with Kim Yong Sun the Secretary General of the Party and a relative of Kim Il Sung, Kim Yong Sun failed to show up for the meeting. Since that was the last day of Antonio’s schedule in Pyongyang, he left the same day for Beijing, only to find out about Kim Il Sung’s death upon arrival at Beijing Airport, where he was told by North Korean Officials from the DPRK embassy, to, “please go back, as a guest of the regime for the funeral of our Great Leader” Dr. Bo Hi Pak also attended on behalf of True Parents and the entire Unification Movement. The programme clearly mentions Antonio’s affiliation with the Unification Church and Movement. The programme also clearly shows listeners all around the world the unique and special relationship that has existed since True Parents’s own initial visit to the North in 1991 between True Parents Family and the Kim Family, a relationship that exists to this day and which to us as Unificationists is clearly the key to North-South reunification. Here is the main link:- http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p021y327 And you can also listen and download a copy to keep via podcast page at the following link:- http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/witness/all Sincerely,

MARK BRANN Secretary-General UPF Europe