Joseon Korea
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Syngman Rhee
Daepyeong, Hwanghae Province, Joseon Korea
Archival Overview
First President of South Korea who led the Republic of Korea through the Korean War and secured the US-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty.
Biographical Record
Syngman Rhee (1875–1965) was a Korean independence activist, politician, and the first President of the Republic of Korea (1948–1960). Educated in Christian missionary schools, Rhee was imprisoned for political agitation before traveling to the United States, where he earned a bachelor's from George Washington University, a master's from Harvard, and a Ph.D. from Princeton under future president Woodrow Wilson.
Elected the first President of the Provisional Government of Korea in 1919, Rhee spent decades lobbying American leaders for Korean sovereignty. Following World War II, he was elected the inaugural President of South Korea in 1948. When North Korea invaded in June 1950, Rhee led the nation through the three-year Korean War, fiercely refusing an armistice without national unification until securing the vital 1953 US-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty. Following protests over electoral fraud in April 1960, he resigned and lived in exile in Hawaii.
Key Life Milestones
Inaugural President of South Korea
Inaugurated as the first President of the Republic of Korea on August 15, 1948, establishing modern South Korean statehood.
US-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty Signed
Signed the Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States in Washington, guaranteeing American military protection of South Korea.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialSeoul, South Korea