Editing Syngman Rhee (section)

=== Korean War ===
{{Main|Korean War}}

Both Rhee and [[Kim Il Sung]] wanted to unite the Korean peninsula under their respective governments, but the United States refused to give South Korea any heavy weapons, to ensure that its military could only be used for preserving internal order and self-defense.<ref name="Hastings, Max page 45">Hastings (1988), p.45</ref> By contrast, [[Pyongyang]] was well equipped with Soviet aircraft, vehicles and tanks. According to John Merrill, "the war was preceded by a major insurgency in the South and serious clashes along the thirty-eighth parallel," and 100,000 people died in "political disturbances, guerrilla warfare, and border clashes".<ref>Merrill, John, ''Korea: The Peninsular Origins of the War'' (University of Delaware Press, 1989), p181.</ref>

At the outbreak of war on 25 June 1950, North Korean troops launched a full-scale invasion of South Korea. All South Korean resistance at the [[38th parallel north|38th parallel]] was overwhelmed by the North Korean offensive within a few hours.  By 26 June, it was apparent that the [[Korean People's Army]] (KPA) would occupy Seoul. Rhee stated, "Every Cabinet member, including myself, will protect the government."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2017/04/356_226873.html|title=Ten biggest lies in modern Korean history|date=3 April 2017|newspaper=[[The Korea Times]]}}</ref> At midnight on 28 June, the South Korean military destroyed the Han Bridge, preventing thousands of citizens from fleeing. On 28 June, North Korean soldiers occupied Seoul.

During the North Korean occupation of Seoul, Rhee established a temporary government in [[Busan]] and created a defensive perimeter along the Naktong Bulge. A series of battles ensued, which would later be known collectively as the [[Battle of Naktong Bulge]]. After the [[Battle of Inchon]] in September 1950, the North Korean military was routed, and the [[United Nations Command]] (UNC) and South Korean forces not only liberated all of South Korea, but overran much of North Korea. In the areas of North Korea taken by the UNC forces, elections were supposed to be administered by the United Nations but instead were taken over and administered by the South Koreans. Rhee insisted on ''Bukjin Tongil'' – ending war by conquering North Korea, but after the Chinese entered the war in November 1950, the UNC forces were thrown into retreat.<ref name="Ashgate Publishing, Ltd"/> During this period of crisis, Rhee ordered the [[December massacres]] of 1950. Rhee was absolutely committed to reunifying Korea under his leadership and strongly supported MacArthur's call for going all-out against China, even at the risk of provoking a nuclear war with the Soviet Union.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Koenig|first=Louis William|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x4q4JaQZWUIC&q=%22Rhee+was+told+repeatedly%22|title=The Chief Executive|date=1968|publisher=Harcourt, Brace & World|pages=228|language=en}}</ref>

Hastings notes that, during the war, Rhee's official salary was equal to [[United States dollar|$]]37.50 per month. Both at the time and since, there has been much speculation about precisely how Rhee managed to live on this amount. The entire Rhee regime was notorious for its corruption, with everyone in the government from the President downwards stealing as much they possibly could from both the public purse and from United States aid. The Rhee regime engaged in the "worst excesses of corruption", with South Korean soldiers going unpaid for months as their officers embezzled their pay, equipment provided by the United States being sold on the black market, and the size of the army being bloated by hundreds of thousands of "ghost soldiers" who only existed on paper, allowing their officers to steal pay that would have been due had these soldiers actually existed. The problems with low morale experienced by the army were largely due to the corruption of the Rhee regime. The worst scandal during the war—indeed of the entire Rhee government—was the [[National Defense Corps Incident]]. Rhee created the National Defense Corps in December 1950, intended to be a paramilitary militia, comprising men not in the military or police who were drafted into the corps for internal security duties. In the months that followed, tens of thousands of National Defense Corps men either starved or froze to death in their unheated barracks, as the men lacked winter uniforms and food. Even Rhee could not ignore the deaths of so many and ordered an investigation. It was revealed that the commander of the National Defense Corps, General Kim Yun Gun, had stolen millions of American dollars that were intended to heat the barracks and feed and clothe the men. Kim and five other officers were publicly shot at [[Daegu]] on 12 August 1951, following their convictions for corruption.<ref name="Hastings, Max page 236">Hastings (1988), p. 235-240</ref>

In the spring of 1951, Rhee—who was upset about MacArthur's dismissal as UNC commander by President Truman—lashed out in a press interview against Britain, whom he blamed for MacArthur's sacking.<ref name="Hastings, Max page 235">Hastings (1988), p. 235</ref> Rhee declared, "The British troops have outlived their welcome in my country." Shortly after, Rhee told an Australian diplomat about the Australian troops fighting for his country, "They are not wanted here any longer. Tell that to your government. The Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and British troops all represent a government which is now sabotaging the brave American effort to liberate fully and unify my unhappy nation."<ref name="Hastings, Max page 235"/>

During the Korean War armistice negotiations, one of the most contentious issues was the repatriation of prisoners of war (POWs). The UNC advocated for the principle of voluntary repatriation, allowing POWs to choose whether to return to their home countries. In contrast, the communist side insisted on mandatory repatriation, demanding that all POWs be returned regardless of their preferences. This disagreement prolonged the negotiations, and an agreement was only reached on June 8, 1953. However, Rhee strongly opposed the armistice, fearing it would leave South Korea vulnerable to future aggression and believing it failed to ensure the country's long-term security. On June 18, 1953, Rhee unilaterally ordered the release of over 27,000 anti-communist POWs held in camps across South Korea, including those in Busan, Masan, and Daegu. This action shocked the United States, the United Nations, and the communist side, as it was perceived as a direct challenge to the ongoing armistice talks. The release also led to casualties, with dozens of POWs reportedly killed or injured during the process. Rhee's decision to release the POWs is interpreted as serving multiple purposes. Domestically, it was framed as a gesture to grant freedom to anti-communist prisoners who refused to return to their communist home countries. Internationally, it was a bold political maneuver to assert South Korea's agency in the armistice process and to pressure the United States into committing to South Korea's defense. Rhee was deeply dissatisfied with the armistice negotiations being conducted without active participation from the South Korean government. His actions aimed to ensure South Korea's security through the signing of the Korea-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty. Although the unilateral release of POWs temporarily disrupted the armistice talks, it ultimately strengthened South Korea's position in post-war negotiations.<ref name="ArchivesKorea">
National Archives of Korea. "반공포로 석방 사건." Accessed January 13, 2025. 
[https://www.archives.go.kr/next/newsearch/listSubjectDescription.do?id=002717&pageFlag=&sitePage= National Archives of Korea]
</ref><ref name="EncyKoreaAntiCommunistPOWs">"반공포로 석방 사건" (Release of Anti-Communist POWs), EncyKorea, The Academy of Korean Studies. Retrieved from [https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0061616](https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0061616)</ref>

On July 27, 1953, the Korean War, often referred to as "one of the 20th century's most vicious and frustrating wars," ended without a clear victor. The [[Korean Armistice Agreement]] was signed by military commanders representing China, North Korea, and the United Nations Command (UNC), led by the United States. However, the Republic of Korea (ROK), under Rhee's leadership, refused to sign the agreement. His refusal to endorse the armistice eventually led to the signing of the [[Mutual Defense Treaty (United States–South Korea)|Korea-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty]] in October 1953, which guaranteed U.S. military support for South Korea and cemented its role as a key ally in East Asia during the Cold War.<ref>James E. Dillard. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150221085414/http://www.koreanwar60.com/biographies-syngman-rhee "Biographies: Syngman Rhee"]. The Department of Defense 60th Anniversary of Korean War Commemoration Committee. Retrieved on 28 September 2016.</ref><ref name=bbc2015>[https://www.bbc.com/news/10165796 "The Korean War armistice"]. BBC News. 5 March 2015. Retrieved on 28 September 2016.</ref><ref name="NationalArchives">"Armistice Agreement for the Restoration of the South Korean State." National Archives. Accessed January 13, 2025. [https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/armistice-agreement-restoration-south-korean-state](https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/armistice-agreement-restoration-south-korean-state).</ref><ref name="DefenseGov">"Long Diplomatic Wrangling Finally Led to Korean Armistice 70 Years Ago." U.S. Department of Defense. Accessed January 13, 2025. [https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3423473/long-diplomatic-wrangling-finally-led-to-korean-armistice-70-years-ago/](https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3423473/long-diplomatic-wrangling-finally-led-to-korean-armistice-70-years-ago/).</ref><ref name="WilsonCenter">"Korean War Armistice." Wilson Center Digital Archive. Accessed January 13, 2025. [https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/topics/korean-war-armistice](https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/topics/korean-war-armistice).</ref><ref name="Britannica">"Armistice and Aid." Britannica. Accessed January 13, 2025. [https://www.britannica.com/place/Korea/Armistice-and-aid](https://www.britannica.com/place/Korea/Armistice-and-aid).</ref>

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:Syngman Rhee.jpg|Rhee awarding a medal to [[US Navy]] [[Rear Admiral]] [[Ralph A. Ofstie]] during the [[Korean War]] in 1952
File:Dr. Syngman Rhee at Han River Bridge in Seoul.jpg|Rhee and his wife posing with [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|Army Corps of Engineers]] personnel in 1950 at the [[Hangang Bridge|Han River Bridge]]
File:Syngman Rhee-TIME-1953.jpg|Rhee on ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine cover, 1953|alt=
</gallery>