Modern and contemporary history made easy with pictures and photos, a history story told by a mother.

Revised and expanded edition of the story of Syngman Rhee, the founding president of the Republic of Korea, who dedicated his life to the freedom of the people from independence to the founding of the nation!

They say Syngman Rhee learned something more important than English.
It was a fact that in Western countries where Christian ideology was the foundation, individual freedom was protected.
I was also shocked when I learned about liberalism, which states that all people are free and equal, and democracy, which states that 'the people have the right to choose their government.'
And I thought that if our country adopted this kind of idea, it would be a great blessing to the people who had not been able to enjoy freedom.
--- p.38

In January 1918, the last year of World War I, U.S. President Wilson announced the 'Fourteen Points for Peace.'
Syngman Rhee saw that the statement included the claim that "each nation has the right to determine its own political destiny and cannot be subject to interference from other nations," and he believed that if our country showed a strong will for independence, the international community would help.
So, he secretly sent letters to independence activists, suggesting that they hold large-scale rallies, and this was the beginning of the March 1st Movement that we all know well.

--- p.82

The May 10 free general elections have significant significance in the development of Korean democracy.
There aren't many cases in the world where a country was founded and its first national assembly was elected through free general elections.
Also, all Korean citizens over the age of 21 were given the right to vote, regardless of gender or status.
It was a tremendous reform, not only because it gave all citizens equal freedom and power, but also because it gave them the right to vote.
There has never been a time in our history when the people were the masters and enjoyed freedom.
The free general election held on May 10, 1948 was a major event that granted free voting rights for the first time in history to the people who had been forced to live under the shackles of the caste system.

--- p.125

The Republic of Korea started out as a capitalist market economy based on liberal democracy, guaranteeing citizens' property rights and freedom of economic activity.
At the time, Koreans did not all have the same thoughts regarding the direction of the nation's founding.
However, if we look at the flow of world history, we can see that liberal democracy and the market economic system were the right direction for increasing human material welfare and bringing spiritual happiness.
This can be said to be Syngman Rhee's greatest achievement.
Without the ability to see the international situation, the courage to act according to right beliefs, and the strategic effort to persuade the United States to achieve independence, the Republic of Korea as it is today might not have been born.
It was truly a miracle.

--- p.131

Syngman Rhee implemented land reform and education reform to eliminate discrimination.
By giving land and education to the people, he distributed the privileges that had been enjoyed only by a select few to all the people.
As this succeeded, discrimination disappeared, and the word yangban took on a new meaning.
In the past, the word 'Yangban' meant the privileged class, but now it has become a word that refers to ordinary people, saying 'this yangban, that yangban.'
The Republic of Korea has become an equal country where all ordinary people literally become yangban.

--- p.154

When the military demarcation line was pushed back to the Nakdong River due to North Korea's invasion, the United States recommended that the provisional government be moved to Jeju Island.
However, Syngman Rhee said he could never leave the Korean Peninsula and made Busan the temporary capital and fought until the end.
He is said to have never set foot outside our territory during the entire war.
Nevertheless, some people claim that Syngman Rhee 'deceived the people with false broadcasts, ran away by cutting down the Han River Bridge to survive alone' or 'tried to secretly go into exile in Japan'.
It's a very malicious lie, but it's somewhat understandable when you consider that Syngman Rhee, who prevented communism on the Korean Peninsula amid poor security conditions at the beginning of the war and even formed a strong military alliance with the United States, had many enemies both at home and abroad.
--- p.177

The United States was in a situation where it had to leave by signing an armistice agreement in some way, but Syngman Rhee ruined the situation by releasing anti-communist prisoners.
They knew that if this happened, it would be difficult to reach an armistice agreement, President Eisenhower's popularity would continue to decline, and his political life would be threatened.
It was a sophisticated diplomatic strategy that aimed precisely at America's weaknesses and tried to get what South Korea needed.
In the end, Syngman Rhee is said to have received three promises from the United States as a condition for concluding the armistice agreement.
The first is the ‘ROK-US Mutual Defense Treaty.’
It is a military alliance with the United States to ensure Korea's security.
We deployed American troops to the front lines to guard 24 routes through which North Korea could invade.
The United States decided that if North Korean forces invaded, it would be considered an attack on American troops stationed overseas.
They think of it as a war between North Korea and the United States, not a war between North and South Korea.

--- p.191

After the Pacific War, the United States, which occupied Japan, announced the "MacArthur Line," which limited the "activity area of ​​Japanese fishing boats."
However, in April 1952, the Treaty of San Francisco was set to become null and void, and soon the East Sea would become the home of Japanese fishermen.
However, it is said that Syngman Rhee unilaterally drew a maritime border including Dokdo in January 1952, despite opposition from the United States and Japan.
And Japan was the first to build a lighthouse and station a military base on Dokdo, which it claims as its territory.

--- p.233

People didn't fully understand Syngman Rhee's plan from the beginning.
So, we had no choice but to take extreme measures to protect the system that was essential for national development.
However, it is undeniable that the Sasaoip Constitutional Amendment laid the foundation for the freedom and abundance we enjoy today.
Unfortunately, while we are enjoying the fruits of the free market economy, we are only seeing and criticizing the negative aspects of Syngman Rhee, the very person who created those fruits.

--- p.243

“Today I feel like I’m sitting in the middle of some kind of war.
It seems like people are telling me to leave, but I'm trying to give it to them nicely.
But I want you to know exactly why.
“We need to know the reason to solve the problem.” If the president is making such an appeal, he should tell the truth, but even on April 19th, when the whole country was burning with the flames of protest, the traitors were making false reports.
It tarnished the end of the founding president who had achieved so much.
Even if the election was rigged for the vice president, not the president, and even if it wasn't Syngman Rhee's orders to point guns at the people, it was wrong to fail to communicate with the people for whatever reason.

--- p.247

At 9:00 a.m. on April 26, when Martial Law Commander Song Yo-chan told the President, “If we don’t open fire, we can’t control the situation,” Syngman Rhee reportedly asked, “No opening fire! What do the people want?” When Commander Song Yo-chan said, “You should step down,” Syngman Rhee reportedly replied, “Then I should step down.”
And then he said, “No one should be hurt today.
“If I quit, no one will get hurt, right?” he said, pressing Defense Minister Kim Jeong-ryeol for an answer.
Minister Kim Jeong-ryeol said, “Your Excellency, this happened because we did a poor job of assisting you.
“I’m sorry!” he replied.
Syngman Rhee quickly told the people to let him know about this and had him write down a statement of resignation.
Syngman Rhee said, “If the people want it, the president should step down.
He resigned, saying, “That’s our democracy.”
After I retired, I received many letters of condolence from representatives of various countries.
Syngman Rhee said, “I will not accept any letters of consolation.
I am the happiest I have ever been.
“The people who rise up when they see injustice protect the country, because they have waited their whole lives for this day,” he replied.
“A people who do not rise up when they see injustice are a dead people.”
--- p.250

Our people must understand how difficult it is to regain a nation once it has been lost. We must stand firm in both the economy and national defense, and never again be shackled by the yoke of slavery.
This is my last will and testament to our people.
Freedom must be protected.

- Syngman Rhee's will

--- p.262