Its core focus was manufacturing but in the 1970s and 1980s it expanded by founding or acquiring businesses in pharmaceuticals, tourism, and publishing.
[3] In the 1990s Tongil Group suffered as a result of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.
[2] As of 2010 he was in the process of reforming its businesses by hiring new managers and by closing unprofitable operations.
Among Tongil Group’s chief holdings are: The Ilwha Company, which produces ginseng and related products; Ilshin Stone, building materials; and Tongil Heavy Industries, machine parts including hardware for the South Korean military.
The Tongil Group funds the Tongil Foundation which finances about 20 religious and educational institutions, including the Sun Moon University, and the Little Angels Children’s Folk Ballet of Korea; as well as donating to the Unification Church itself.