Unification Church founder Moon dies at 92

Sun Myung Moon, the religious leader who founded the Unification Church and turned it into a thriving business empire, died in South Korea early Monday at the age of 92, reports said. Moon, who was hospitalised with complications from pneumonia more than two weeks ago, died just before 2 am (1700 GMT Sunday), Yonhap news agency said citing a report. The church on Friday said the religious leader had critical organ failure and quoted doctors as saying he had entered "an irreversible stage of his condition". The Unification Church, set up by Moon in Seoul in 1954, is one of the world's most controversial religious organisations. Its devotees are often dubbed "Moonies" after the founder. It is widely known for conducting mass weddings among followers involving thousands of couples. Its business empire spans dozens of firms involved in construction, heavy machinery, food, education and the media.