Friendship of Late President Rhee, US Commander Unveiled
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Personal documents have been made public showing that Korea's first President Syngman Rhee (1875-1965) was dedicated to modernizing the country's military and restraining Japanese power in East Asia.
A letter to Gen. Lyman Lemnitzer (1899-1988), then Commander-in-Chief Far East Command and United Nations Command, showed that even as he was losing the presidency, Rhee was still trying to attract investment from the United States to strengthen the Korean military. The letters, collected by a confidant of Rhee, were brought to light in early January, and are first presented here by The Korea Times.
According to some personal correspondence between Rhee and Lemnitzer, who was involved with Korea between 1951 and 1960, the two kept close company and shared much in common on the security of South Korea.
In a letter written at the then presidential office of Kyung Mu Dai on Jan. 8, 1960, Rhee expressed his anxiety about the United States giving ``too much'' aid to Japan.
He wrote, ``I know, general, that you are fully aware of our situation here but I cannot help being concerned about it and expressing my thoughts to you. Why is it that the American Government and people, knowing the facts as they do, are so anxious to build up a stronger, wealthier and more vicious Japan? She does not do anything to help the United States.
``All she does is to quietly make the Americans fear a possible alliance between Japan and Russia against the United States in order to get more from the latter… Japan is doing all she can to tie up with Russia and therefore weaken the American position.''
Rhee tried to ally with the U.S. to prevent Japan's power from dominating East Asia. He said, ``Could we not form a group of patriotic Americans in order to prevent Japan once again becoming a menace to the United States?''
Only a month before the April 19 revolution in 1960 that eventually forced him to step down, Rhee was focusing on upgrading the military with help from America. In his March 16, 1960 letter, he wrote, ``To learn that Korea is going to receive more modern armament and that this program will have top priority, is tremendously reassuring…we shall do our level best to make every item of assistance count in the struggle against Communism.''
A month after the letter, Rhee announced that he would step down amid people's protest over rigged elections and other illegalities his government committed. He exiled to Hawaii where he died in 1965.
Among tens of letters between Rhee and Lemnitzer, Francesca Rhee and Mrs. Lemnitzer, the friendship was evident ― beyond political interest. The two couples kept in touch even after Rhee lost power and some letters showed Lemnitzer visited him in to Hawaii.
Francesca Rhee attempted to contact Lemnitzer in order to allow her ailing husband to return to his country as he had requested. ``A few weeks ago I wrote to Seoul about the possibility of our returning home. Yesterday I received word from our loyal friends that they have no way to ascertain the reaction of the government but advised me if possible to have the American Military Authorities approach them about it. As this is their advice I am writing to you for your kind advice,'' she wrote in Jan. 12, 1962.
Though Rhee never made it to Korea again, Francesca survived to return, where she died in 1992. She kept in contact with the General and his wife till they died.
``This is not the first time Rhee's apprehension toward Japan or his affection toward the military and the United States have been shown. However, the fact that it was in a private document with a top U.S. military soldier adds value to the documents,'' said Prof. Lew Young-ick of Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies.
Lew is the nation's No.1 authority in Syngman Rhee studies and is the head of WoonamGwan, an institute studying Korea's first president. ``The documents shows Rhee was keen on building a personal relationship with the top U.S. military official and the fact that he maintained it during his entire life means a lot,'' he said.
The documents, photographs and other keepsakes of Lemnitzer and Syngman Rhee will be put up for an auction in March in Seoul.
Who Is Syngman Rhee?
Before becoming South Korea's first President, Syngman Rhee was an independence fighter, politician, diplomat and part of the first generation of Koreans to use English on the international stage.
Born in 1875 to a poor scholarly family, Rhee learned English at the age of 19. After failing in his efforts to renovate the Joseon Kingdom, he moved to the United States to earn bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees from George Washington, Harvard and Princeton universities in just five years.
He constantly promoted the independence of Korea from Japanese colonial rule. He also went to Shanghai and other places to fight for his country's liberty.
In 1934, he married Francesca Donner, an Austrian, and traveled around the world pursuing his dream of seeing an independent Korea.
In 1948, three years after the liberation, in association with the United States Army Military Government, Rhee became the first President of the Republic of Korea.
In the years following his presidency, constant controversy has clouded the ``founder'' of modern Korea. One side say that Rhee's contribution to the country has been underrated, while the other criticizes him for fixing elections, distorting the Constitution and crippling democracy.
In 2008, the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the nation, Rhee is in the center of the limelight once again.
Who is Lemnitzer?
Lyman Louis Lemnitzer was an American Army General, who later served as Supreme Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization from 1963 to 1969.
Graduating from West Point in 1920, he was assigned to Korea in 1951 in command of the 7th Infantry Division and promoted to Lieutenant General in 1952.
He was named Commander of U.S. Armed Forces in the Far East and of the 8th Army in 1955; Chief of Staff of the Army in July 1957; and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1960.
Lemnitzer retired from the military in July 1969. He and his wife Katherine Tryon Lemnitzer remained loyal friends after repositioning and Rhee's forced resignation.
Friends said the couple visited Rhee whenever possible, sometimes dropping by just to say ``Hi.'' Lemnitzer persuaded Rhee to stay in Hawaii due to his health when Rhee showed a strong desire to return to Korea. Francesca gave him credit for this.