Syngman Rhee | |
---|---|
이승만 | |
President of South Korea | |
In office July 24, 1948 – April 26, 1960 |
|
Vice President |
Yi Si-yeong Kim Seong-su Ham Tae-young Chang Myon Yun Posun |
Preceded by | Himself as the Chairman of the State Council of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea |
Succeeded by | Yun Posun |
President of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea | |
In office September 11, 1919 – March 23, 1925 |
|
Prime Minister |
Yi Donghwi Yi Dongnyeong Sin Gyu-sik No Baek-rin Park Eunsik |
Preceded by | Office created |
Succeeded by | Park Eunsik |
Chairman of the State Council of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea | |
In office March 3, 1947 – August 15, 1948 |
|
Deputy | Kim Koo |
Preceded by | Kim Koo |
Succeeded by | Himself as the President of South Korea |
Personal details | |
Born |
Rhee Syngman April 18, 1875 Neungnae-dong, Daegyeong-ri, Masan-myeon, Pyeongsan County, Hwanghae Province, Joseon (now North Korea) |
Died | July 19, 1965 Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. |
(aged 90)
Resting place | Seoul National Cemetery |
Nationality | Joseon (1875-1910) Japanese Korea (1910-1945) South Korea (1945-1965), American, Austrian |
Political party | Liberal |
Spouse(s) | Seungseon Park (1890~1910) Francesca Donner (1934~1965) |
Children | Rhee Bong-su or 이봉수(1898 - 1908), Rhee In-soo Yi In-su or 이인수 - (b. September 1, 1931) - adopted |
Alma mater |
George Washington University (B.A.) Harvard University (M.A.) Princeton University (Ph.D.) |
Religion | Methodism |
Signature |
Syngman Rhee | |
Hangul | |
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Hanja | |
Revised Romanization | I (Yi) Seungman |
McCune–Reischauer | Yi Sŭngman |
Syngman Rhee (Korean: 이승만, pronounced [i.sɯŋ.man], Korean "Rhee Syngman"; April 18, 1875 – July 19, 1965) was a South Korean statesman, the first and the last Head of State of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, and President of South Korea from 1948 to 1960. His three-term presidency of South Korea (August 1948 to April 1960) was strongly affected by Cold War tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Rhee was regarded as an anti-Communist and a strongman, and he led South Korea through the Korean War. His presidency ended in resignation following popular protests against a disputed election. He died in exile in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Syngman Rhee was born on April 18, 1875; his birthday is also stated as March 26, the lunar date, and April 26. Rhee was born in Hwanghae Province into a rural family of modest means as the third son out of 3 brothers and 2 sisters. His two older brothers both died in infancy. Rhee's family traced its lineage back to King Taejong of Joseon. He is a 16th-generation descendant of Grand Prince Yangnyeong. In 1877, Rhee (age 2) and his family moved to Seoul.
In Seoul, he had traditional Confucianism education in seodangs in Nakdong (낙동; 駱洞) and Dodong (도동; 桃洞). He was portrayed as a potential candidate for gwageo, the Korean civil service examination. When he was 9, he was rendered virtually blind through smallpox and was cured by Horace Newton Allen, an American medical missionary.