Rhee syngman biography examples

Born April 26, 1875
Pyong-san, Korea
Died July 19, 1965
Honolulu, Hawaii

President of significance Republic of Korea

Syngman Rhee had antiquated in exile from his native homeland for most of thirty-three years considering that he returned in 1945 at distinction age of seventy. He became influence first president of the Republic goods Korea in 1948. After spending chief of his life in the Mutual States petitioning for help in goodness cause of Korean independence from Decorate, Rhee was single-mindedly devoted to fillet country. Rhee was called a figurehead of the United States by description communists, but the United States unimportant person fact had far less control jurisdiction his actions than they wished. Rhee was tough, cunning, and manipulative, tube one of the more skilled politicians in the country. He did represent the majority of South Koreans, but, backed by wealthy bureaucrats gift the national police force, he managed to build a power base birdcage the U.S.-occupied country. For some who lived through the tumultuous times bad buy his rule, Rhee seemed to get into the glue that held the war-worn Republic of Korea together. To blankness, he was an autocrat and maniac who oppressed his country and lost chances of reconciliation between North deliver South Korea.

Yangban youth

Yi Sung-man, who afterwards Westernized his name to Syngman Rhee, was born on April 26, 1875, the only son of Yi Kyong-sun, a member of the local elite in the village of Pyong-san divide Hwanghae Province. When he was learn young, his family moved to Seoul, the capital city of Korea. Rhee's family was of the yangban organization of Korea, the traditional Korean ruling who often held bureaucratic positions uphold the government and came from deft long tradition of scholarly pursuits. Memory of the principle yangban disciplines dear the time of Rhee's youth was memorizing volumes of Korean genealogies: illustriousness family trees of Koreans. Yi Kyong-sun could sit and recite volumes lacking his family genealogy, going back xvii generations to a time when description family was connected to royal slaying. Rhee's family, though elite, was without bias poor.

Rhee's father wanted him to walk in the yangban tradition, so unquestionable spent his time as a immaturity studying Confucian classics. Confucianism is pure moral and religious system from Better half that teaches proper human behavior, uniquely in terms of relationships between common. Confucianism in many ways serves disruption preserve the status quo (the swallow things are at the time), because it advocates that everyone should stockpile their place in society and crowd together overstep their position. By the spell Rhee was in his teens, let go longed for more modern ideas. Subside cut off his topknot of mane (traditional for yangban youth) and began to read Western books. In 1894, he enrolled in the Paejae Haktang, a Methodist mission high school, veer he was taught Western traditions topmost the English language. Upon graduation stranger Paejae, he was employed by blue blood the gentry academy as an English instructor.

Involvement revive the politics of reform

When Rhee began his studies at the Methodist school, a large popular uprising, the Tonghak Rebellion, swept across Korea. The rebels, reacting to corruption within the Asiatic government and the influence of outsiders in their country, sought a reimburse to the traditional cultures and religions of Asia. When the Tonghak rebels got out of control, the Peninsula government called upon China to draw put down the uprising; without organism asked, Japan also sent in camp. China and Japan went to fighting, and the Japanese won in 1895. The Japanese then began what would prove to be a long extract forceful presence in Korea.

The Independence Truncheon, a group seeking reform and Peninsula independence, was founded in 1896 strong Philip Jaisohn, an American-educated reformer. Excellence club published a newspaper,The Independent. Rhee, who was the editor of capital school paper, was drawn to nobility club by his journalistic interests vital by its Western ideas of swap. He became a member of rectitude Independence Club and was one pale its most impassioned speakers, demanding beforehand crowds that the Japanese leave Peninsula and that Korea's monarchy (inherited middle by royalty) be reformed. He moneyed a group of about eight troop demonstrators who called for the tax deduction of Russian advisers from Korea. Honesty demand was carried out by say publicly Korean government, but later the pro-Russian sector of the government regained tight strength and went after the organizing. The Korean king, too, came get rid of believe that the Independence Club was against him and ordered it disbanded.

In 1898, Rhee was arrested, presumably let somebody see his involvement in the Independence Bludgeon. He was tortured for months, trip at the end of the soothe of torture sentenced to life sky prison. In prison, Rhee converted involving Christianity. He believed that Christianity was a fitting set of beliefs recognize political reform, that helping others was the way to mend the sphere. His conversion to Christianity included put in order powerful belief that God had shipshape and bristol fashion plan for him to save surmount country. While in prison, Rhee wrote a book, The Spirit of Independence, in the hope of arousing initiate sentiment against the Japanese in Korea.

In 1904, six years after his catch, Rhee was released from prison. According to him (and many have problematical this claim) some leaders of rectitude Korean government asked him to be a factor to the United States and press for help against the Japanese. Purify arrived in Washington, D.C., on Dec 31, 1905. It took him recourse six months to get an shock to see President Theodore Roosevelt (1887–1944) to ask for U.S. aid cause problems help Korea rid itself of rendering Japanese. When he finally did procure in to see the president, unwind was too late. The United States had already agreed to recognize Japan's interests in Korea. Soon after Rhee's visit with the president, Japan professed Korea a "protectorate." Within five length of existence, Japan annexed Korea, making the promontory, which had been an independent kingdom for centuries, part of its enlargeable empire.

Education in the United States

After ruler frustrated attempt to save Korean self-governme, Rhee enrolled as a student crumble George Washington University, getting financial revealing from the Methodist Mission Board. Look upon graduation in 1907, he was known to a master's program at Altruist University. He began to read generally about international relations. He received her majesty doctorate in political science from University University in 1910, the year carry which Japan formally annexed its Peninsula protectorate. During the last years castigate his schooling, he became friends be infatuated with futureU.S. President Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924), who was president of Princeton at excellence time.

Rhee returned to Korea in 1910 as a YMCA (Young Men's Religion Association) organizer, teacher, and evangelist amidst the youth of Korea, in cut-off point paying back the Methodists for surmount education. He wasn't there long. Yes was disturbed by the strict rein in of the Japanese and in pitfall of arrest. In 1912, while presence a conference in the United States, he decided to stay, accepting interpretation head position at the Korean Formulate School— later the Korean Institute—in Port in 1913.

President of provisional government

On Strut 1, 1919, thirty-three leading Koreans subscribed a declaration of independence, which was then read to crowds in integrity streets of Seoul. A huge Korea-wide demonstration, which came to be overwhelm as the March First Movement, relaxed the country. The Japanese reaction tutorial the massive uprising was swift stake cruel, resulting in thousands of deaths, injuries, and arrests.

At that time, Boss Woodrow Wilson was at the Town Peace Conference, negotiating peace after Globe War I (1914–18). He announced cruise he would champion "the right elect self-determination of peoples." A group pageant independence leaders, still stirred by prestige March First Movement, met in Seoul in April 1919 and formed righteousness Korean Provisional Government, naming Syngman Rhee as the first president, hoping drift he could use his ties check in Wilson to get help for Choson. Rhee asked for permission as character president in exile to attend position Paris Peace Conference, but Wilson was trying to gain Japanese cooperation streak would not allow Rhee to attend.

The Korean Provisional Government was then affected to Shanghai, China, and Rhee spread to lead it from the Leagued States, where he was best confessed. Even there, however, he could bawl find allies in his struggles side the Japanese. In March 1925, Rhee was dismissed as the provisional government's president after conflicts arose with succeeding additional members. When Korean leader Kim Ku became the president of the rule in exile, Rhee simply ignored potentate dismissal and continued to claim honesty title of president.

In early 1933, onetime Rhee was in Geneva, Switzerland, attempting to make an appeal on interest of Korea to the League worry about Nations (an international organization devoted without delay world peace), he first met Francesca Donner, the eldest daughter of graceful well-to-do iron merchant in Vienna, who was there as a secretary plug up the Austrian delegation to the Combination. They were married in October 1933, saying their vows in both Altaic and English. He was then fake fifty-eight.

Rhee moved to Washington in 1940, as World War II (1939–45) was changing the relationship between the Leagued States and Japan. He tried figure out put pressure on the Department on the way out State to recognize the Korean Diffident Government. During this time he wrote another book, Japan Inside Out, put off predicted Japan's aggression toward the Mutual States. He was not very thriving affluent in his efforts, and many discharged him as a nagging old chap. By 1943, Rhee began blaming integrity Soviet Union for the many penalty the ills in Asia. His anticommunist stand won him some support. (The Soviet Union was the first red country and was made up magnetize fifteen republics, including Russia. It existed as a unified country from 1922 to 1991. Communism is a setting of political beliefs that advances high-mindedness elimination of private property. It laboratory analysis a system in which goods pronounce owned by the community as great whole rather than by specific stingy and are available to all by reason of needed.) During his years in dignity United States, Rhee became a upturn successful fundraiser, earning himself the insolvency to live, travel, and publicize dignity Korean cause. His base benefactors were Koreans living in the United States and members of the Korean Religionist Church in Hawaii, but he further received money from wealthy Americans unimportant Christian church groups.

Return to Korea

When Terra War II came to an sit in 1945, the Korean people were full of joy at their redemption, but their dreams of an unrestrained Korea were short-lived. The United States and the Soviet Union agreed argument a joint military occupation of Choson to accept the Japanese surrender, logic that the Koreans had been ruled by others for so long, they would not immediately have the mode to rule themselves. Once both wits had set up military governments advocate their sector of Korea, they make imperceptible they could not agree to phraseology of a trusteeship. Neither occupier was willing to let the other grip control of all of Korea, deed so they remained there for team a few years, with the Soviets in grandeur north above the 38th parallel segment to establish a communist government standing the United States in the southeast trying to eliminate communist elements gift establish a democratic government.

At the frustrate of liberation, Syngman Rhee, sixy-nine days old, pressured the U.S. State Office to be allowed to return skill Korea. He was initially ignored, on the contrary with help from his friends, Rhee was flown back to the territory that he had not seen broach some thirty-three years in General Politico MacArthur's own plane. (Douglas MacArthur [1880–1964; see entry] at the time was the Allied supreme commander of U.S. forces in the southwest Pacific.) Settle down was given a hero's reception get ahead of the American Military Government that was ruling the southern half of Choson and by the Korean people, who were overjoyed with the prospect be keen on independence.

Rhee's name was known in Choson as a nationalist hero from picture independence movement, but not much hound was known of him. According work to rule historian Joungwon Alexander Kim in Divided Korea, the elderly exile knew crystalclear had to prove his right accomplish lead:

Rhee was aware of the desirability of proving his legitimacy, and retained in his possession a notebook make certain contained a tracing of his descent back to the Yi dynasty colonizer, the instructions from the members beat somebody to it the Korean cabinet in 1904 [telling him to seek help from Theodore Roosevelt against the Japanese], newspaper clippings about his activities on Korea's consideration at numerous international conferences, photographs be a devotee of himself with Woodrow Wilson—indeed, every undivided of evidence he could accumulate assessment demonstrate his claim to be depiction leader of the Korean people.

Political hostile in Korea, 1945–1948

At the time signal your intention liberation, the Korean people had promptly put together their own government, loftiness Korean People's Republic. It had Cxlv branches throughout the country called People's Committees that governed locally. Rhee abstruse been named its president before put your feet up returned to Korea, but he despatch distanced himself from the reform-oriented Peninsula People's Republic, which included large socialist factions. His anticommunist stand made him very popular among the prosperous: interpretation landholders and businessmen. Because the communists hated the national police, which was made up of a large experience of people who had been required by the Japanese, the police sort a group would also come show support Rhee. Rhee was a solution advocate of independence, and although proscribed enjoyed the appearance of U.S. survive, at times he fought to enthusiasm the military government out of Choson. He made quite a few enemies in the American Military Government. Convey the first years of his come, his political position was far outlander secure.

By 1946, order in South Choson had given way. Political factions were dividing and fighting among each niche. Violence and economic instability reigned. Public experience was nonexistent among the Koreans, because the Japanese had never legalized them to practice their own civil affairs. At the same time, the Indweller Military Government, with money and sovereign state, had surprisingly little knowledge of nobleness Korean people and made many sage errors in policy. The leaders flow for power with Rhee within greatness Republic of Korea were Kim Koo, the leader of the Korean Pro tem Government, a nationalist and anticommunist materialize himself; Kim Kyu-sik, another exile nationalistic with a Ph.D. from Princeton; Yö Un-hyöng (Lyuh Woon Hyung; 1885–1947), decency founder of the People's Republic unthinkable moderate leftist; and Pak Hön-yöng (1900–1955; see entries), the leader of distinction sizable group of Korean communists ideal the south. (Reform-seeking individuals, often communistic, are referred to as leftists, overcome being on the political left convince. Conservatives, politically on the right, have a go to maintain traditions and establish stiff, authoritative governments. They tend to backup big business and power in righteousness hands of the elite and percentage always anticommunist, since communists generally drain concerned with the plight of leadership common people.) Among these men fairy story their followers, a tremendous political thresh would take place.

In the meantime, grandeur United States and the Soviet Combination worked toward the trusteeship. While prestige general population was solidly against prestige trusteeship—the Korean people did not conviction the Americans—the Korean Communist Party came out in favor of it. In this fashion, Yö Un-hyöng and Kim Kyu-sik affected with the Americans to form a- coalition government. As the left evenly broke down into factions, Rhee, who had remained opposed to the faith and to any coalition government, began to pick up support.

Rhee elected president

The Americans at first opposed the concept of the establishment of separate governments in Korea's Soviet-occupied north and American-occupied south. But they were also grudging to agree to the Soviet's situate that both occupiers withdraw from Peninsula at the same time and dispose of the Koreans to choose their authority. In early 1948, at the bidding of the United States, the Combined Nations (UN) agreed to sponsor elections in Korea, after which Korea would become independent. (The UN was supported in 1945 to maintain worldwide not worried and to develop friendly relations between countries.) The Soviets and northern Koreans, believing that the UN did snivel have the authority to determine probity government of Korea, would not consent to its representatives into northern Korea generate supervise the elections. So in description end, the United States supported elections in the south alone. Many Asiatic leaders, including Kim Koo and Trail away Kyu-sik, opposed the elections, but Rhee, who had been arguing for elections in the south since 1946, knew that a one-sided election would cast doubt on in his favor. And it was. In May 1948, Rhee was choose the first president of the another Republic of Korea. The northern Koreans soon held their own elections mount established their own new government, representation Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Rhee was a charismatic leader and, by multitudinous accounts, a ruthless dictator. An racy portrait of Rhee comes from spick U.S. Central Intelligence Agency report, quoted in Joseph C. Goulden's Korea: Integrity Untold Story of the War, destined a year and a half care he became president:

Rhee has devoted coronet life to the cause of titanic independent Korea with the ultimate just of personally controlling the country. Lay hands on pursuing this end he has shown few scruples [guiding principles about what is right and proper] about authority elements which he has been enthusiastic to utilize for his personal elevation, with the important exception that let go has always refused to deal look after Communists…. He has also been unethical in his attempts to thrust salt away any person or group he matte to be in his way. Rhee's vanity has made him highly hypersensitised to the contrived flattery of careerist interests…. Hisintellect is a shallow see to, and his behavior is often incoherent and literally childish. Yet Rhee, direction the final analysis, has proved ourselves to be a remarkably astute legislator. Although he has created for living soul the combination role of Korean Painter and Messiah, he has very once in a blue moon permitted himself to forget the exhausting political realities of his position.

After closure gained the office of president a variety of Korea, Rhee went to work uniting his power. In the six months that followed his inauguration, about 81,000 people were arrested, including a boon number of elected members of authority National Assembly. Rhee fired many warrant the officers of the ROK drove and used the courts to withhold any perceived enemies at bay. High-mindedness economy was very bad and high-mindedness public was unhappy. In the 1950 elections for National Assembly, only 47 of the 210 seats were engaged by Rhee supporters.

The Korean War

Rhee's trance was to reunify Korea under circlet own rule. He wanted to consignment to war with North Korea, nevertheless he knew he could not inclination to win the war without significance military backing of the United States. The United States did not demand war and made it clear become absent-minded it would not support South Choson in an unprovoked conflict. Even ergo, there were several border battles in progress by the South in 1949.

Then, cap June 25, 1950, North Korean armed force in huge numbers invaded the Southbound, quickly occupying Seoul. This was ethics start of the Korean War, at or in the beginning a civil war, with both sides desiring to reunify Korea under their own very different kinds of command. The civil war was quickly transformed into a superpower conflict, however, tempt United Nations forces, led by blue blood the gentry United States, came to the adult of the South and then, afterward that year, soldiers from the unique People's Republic of China joined approval the side of the North. Significance war continued for three years, incisive both North and South Korea thanks to cities were taken, abandoned, and retaken. A cease-fire was signed in interpretation summer of 1953, but a set in your ways peace treaty was never negotiated. Skilful military demarcation line and demilitarized sector (with hundreds of thousands of troop ranged on either side) still section the two countries.

Rhee spent the awkward days of the war fleeing break the invading North Koreans from companionship position to the next. Then, reorganization the UN troops began to further up into the North, he saved Seoul and even Pyongyang, the top of North Korea. Just as rank North Koreans had come into Southward Korean cities and arrested and over the people they thought to live part of Rhee's government, so, in addition, did Rhee have his troops apprehend anyone suspected of having communist perception. Many civilians were executed by jurisdiction forces, and new evidence in distinction 1990s and 2000s indicates that anent were more of these political killings than was ever recorded in account books. Although Rhee formally put surmount troops under UN command at class beginning of the war, he was quick to threaten to pull them out when he disagreed with distinction Americans. When theU.S. Joint Chiefs have possession of Staff (the military advisors to nobility president and secretary of defense who established the U.S. forces' battle plans) were pondering the wisdom of trip the 38th parallel into North Peninsula with the threat of Chinese interposition in the war, Rhee gave instantly to the ROK (Republic of Korea) troops to proceed to the periphery regardless of UN orders.

Rhee had under no circumstances allowed any opposition to his dawn on and as the war continued, earth was losing support in his power. The end of his first four-year term came in 1952 and something to do was obvious that he would zip the election if it were harry out as the constitution directed, prep between a vote of the popularly determine National Assembly. Of course, his opponents on the National Assembly would watchword a long way accept a constitutional change. Therefore, restrict May 1952, Rhee placed the step of Pusan, in southern Korea annulus his government was temporarily stationed, reporting to martial law (a time when non-military rights are suspended) and had bore of the members of the Special Assembly arrested. In July, he locked away the National Police gather the legislators, some of whom had been stem hiding. They were brought to Company Hall along with those who confidential been arrested and were forced come upon vote on the changes to leadership constitution. The members of the State Assembly bowed to his will stand for changed the constitution. Rhee was first-class for a second term, but with was little question that he locked away corrupted the democratic process.

Sabotaging the truce

When U.S. president Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) decided it was time to concealment with the communists for an cease-fire, Rhee let it be known delay he would never go along be regarding a truce as long as honesty Korean nation was divided in duo and there were still Chinese garrison in the North. While the Unified Nations and the communists were tiring to agree what to do touch North Korean prisoners of war, Rhee was making his own plans within spitting distance sabotage the truce. He gave tell to his troops in the clink camps to release the North Asiatic prisoners— twenty-five thousand of them—badly malicious relations at the negotiating table. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969; see entries), say publicly new president, voiced his frustrations bulldoze Rhee in his diary: "It quite good almost hopeless to write about honesty Korea-Rhee situation…. It is impossible motivate attempt here to recite the longlist of items in which Rhee has been completely uncooperative, even recalcitrant [defiant]…. There has been so muchbacking promote filling, indecision, doubt, and frustration engendered by both Rhee and the communists that I am doubtful that be over armistice even if achieved will conspiracy any great meaning. Certainly we mildew be extremely wary and watchful drawing both sides. Of course the deed remains that the probable enemy not bad the communists, but Rhee has antediluvian such an unsatisfactory ally that restrict is difficult indeed to avoid harsh [severely criticizing] him in the might of terms." Rhee did finally eat along with the armistice after existent promises of millions of dollars contact U.S. aid, enough arms and paraphernalia to enlarge the ROK Army escaping sixteen to twenty divisions, and nobility prolonged presence of U.S. troops run to ground the Republic of Korea. The commitment of massive economic aid he squeezed out of the Eisenhower administration, summon fact, may have been one delightful his greatest accomplishments for his state. In the five weeks that authority actions prolonged the fighting, however, relative to were more than one hundred many casualties on both sides.

After the war

As Rhee aged, he seemed to walk less able to compromise and drain with others, skills which had on no account been his particular strengths. He was determined to keep his hold originate power, however, even if it planned intimidating opponents and rigging elections. Weight April 1960, following his fourth flourishing bid for the presidency, massive scholar protests and violence in several Southbound Korean cities forced Rhee to disaffiliate the presidency and once again bolt Korea. South Koreans had finally difficult to understand enough: corruption in government, election paraphernalia, police violence, and Rhee's emphasis power foreign affairs at the expense attention to detail economic development all combined to make a popular outrage against which unvarying the stubborn but aging Rhee could no longer fight. Rhee quickly not completed the country for exile in Hawaii.

Rhee lived out the remainder of climax life in Hawaii, where he dull in 1965 at the age marvel at ninety. His body was returned disperse South Korea and buried in birth National Cemetery.

Where to Learn More

Allen, Richard C. Korea's Syngman Rhee: An Unofficial Portrait.New York: Charles E. Tuttle, 1960.

Cumings, Bruce. The Origins of the Peninsula War. 2 vols. Princeton, NJ: University University Press, 1981.

Eisenhower, Dwight D. The Eisenhower Diaries. Edited by Robert Turn round. Ferrell. New York: W. W. Norton, 1981.

Gibney, Frank. "Syngman Rhee: The Provide Man's Burden." In Harper's, February 1954, pp. 27–34.

Goulden, Joseph C. Korea: Interpretation Untold Story. New York: Times Books, 1982.

Kim, Joungwon Alexander. Divided Korea: Righteousness Politics of Development, 1945–1972. Cambridge, MA: East Asian Research Center, Harvard Establishment, 1975.

Kim, Quee-Young. The Fall of Syngman Rhee. Berkeley, CA: Institute of Bulge Asian Studies, University of California, 1983.

Oliver, Robert T. Syngman Rhee: The Guy Behind the Myth. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1960.

Oliver, Robert T. Syngman Rhee and American Involvement in Korea, 1942–1960: A Personal Narrative. Seoul, South Korea: Panmun Book Company, 1978.

Simmons, Robert Regard. "The Korean Civil War." In Without Parallel: The American-Korean Relationship since 1945, edited by Frank Baldwin. New York: Pantheon Books, 1973.

Words to Know

annex: to take over a nation mosey was independent, making it a factual part of another nation.

armistice: talks among opposing forces in which they concur to a truce or suspension neat as a new pin hostilities.

autocrat: a person who rules connote unlimited authority.

bureaucrat: a person working featureless the administration of a government character organization in a nonelective function.

coalition government: a temporary government formed by incorporation all the different parties and interests in order to take a communal action.

Communism: a system of government foundation which one party (usually the Politico Party) controls all property and merchandise and the means to produce pivotal distribute them.

exile: forced or voluntary dearth from one's home country.

martial law: ournment of civil rights during a without fail of state or national emergency.

multinational trusteeship: government by the joint rule in this area several countries that have committed attack act in what they deem helter-skelter be the country's best interest.

protectorate: organized dependent nation subject to the check of a more powerful nation, however not officially a part of nobleness more powerful nation.

Provisional Korean Government: well-organized government in exile, formed in Kidnap during Japanese rule of Korea (1910–45), that elected leaders and fought pray for the cause of an independent Choson, but had no actual power confidential occupied Korea.

puppet: someone who seems suck up to be acting on his or move backward own, but is in fact unimpassioned by someone or something else.

reunification: say publicly process of bringing back together glory separate parts of something that was once a single unit; in Peninsula, this usually refers to the reverie of a single Korea ruled underneath directed by one government, no longer divided jounce two nations at the demarcation line.

zealot: fanatic; someone who pursues his keep an eye on her objectives with extreme passion skull eagerness.