Editing Syngman Rhee (section)

=== Resignation and exile ===
After the war ended in July 1953, South Korea struggled to rebuild following nationwide devastation. The country remained at a [[Third World]] level of development and was heavily reliant on US aid.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Snyder|first=Scott A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xmhADwAAQBAJ&pg=PT33|title=South Korea at the Crossroads: Autonomy and Alliance in an Era of Rival Powers|date=2 January 2018|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=978-0-231-54618-8|pages=33|language=en}}</ref> Rhee was easily re-elected for what should have been the final time [[1956 South Korean presidential election|in 1956]], since the 1948 constitution limited the president to two consecutive terms. However, soon after being sworn in, he had the legislature amend the constitution to allow the incumbent president to run for an unlimited number of terms, despite protests from the opposition.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Kil|first1=Soong Hoom|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZjVmngFyUTcC&pg=PA143|title=Understanding Korean Politics: An Introduction|last2=Moon|first2=Chung-in|date=1 March 2010|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-0-7914-9101-0|pages=143|language=en}}</ref>

[[March 1960 South Korean presidential election|In March 1960]], the 84-year-old Rhee won his fourth term in office as president. His victory was assured with 100% of the vote after the main opposition candidate, [[Cho Byeong-ok]], died shortly before the 15 March elections.<ref name="Han">Han, S-J. (1974) ''The Failure of Democracy in South Korea.'' University of California Press, p. 28–29.</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Lentz|first=Harris M.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D6HKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA483|title=Heads of States and Governments Since 1945|date=4 February 2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-26490-2|language=en}}</ref>

Rhee wanted his protégé, [[Lee Ki-poong]], elected as Vice President—a separate office under Korean law at that time. When Lee, who was running against [[Chang Myon]] (the ambassador to the United States during the Korean War, a member from the opposition Democratic Party) won the vote with a wide margin, the opposition Democratic Party claimed the election was [[Electoral fraud|rigged]]. This triggered anger among segments of the Korean populace on 19 April. When police shot demonstrators in [[Masan]], the student-led [[April Revolution]] forced Rhee to resign on 26 April.<ref name="Han" />

Following his resignation, he spent a month at the [[Ihwajang|Ihwajang House]] and departed for exile in Hawaii by plane on 29 May.<ref>{{citation |last1=Lee |first1=dong-woo |title=As his longing for his homeland deepened, his beloved dog 'Happy' stayed by his side.|date=2025 |publisher=([[The Financial News]], 파이낸셜 뉴스)|url=https://www.fnnews.com/news/202501071858287652#_PA}}</ref><ref>{{citation |last1=Kim |first1=mi-roo |title=Syngman Rhee, the first president of South Korea, never returned to his homeland and died in solitude in Hawaii|date=2023 |publisher=(Money today, 머니 투데이)|url=https://news.mt.co.kr/mtview.php?no=2023071810092347336}}</ref> The former president, his wife, and their adopted son subsequently lived in exile in Honolulu, Hawaii.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=MT19650719.2.4&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1|title = Madera Tribune 19 July 1965 — California Digital Newspaper Collection}}</ref>