OurBiography

Syngman Rhee became South Korea’s first president in 1948. He was re-elected twice after the Korean War, but was overthrown by a 1960 student uprising.

Synopsis

Syngman Rhee was born on April 26, 1875, in Kaesong, Korea. When he was 22, he was elected president of the Korean Provisional Government. He became South Korea’s first president in 1948. Rhee stayed in power after the Korean War, and was re-elected twice, but he was overthrown by an uprising in 1960. Afterwards, he retired to Hawaii. Syngman Rhee died in Honolulu, Hawaii on July 19, 1965.