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Disputes over claims that Rhee Syng-man is the `father of nation`

Disputes over claims that Rhee Syng-man is the `father of nation`

Posted January. 16, 2016 07:58,   

Updated January. 19, 2016 13:55

한국어

Han Sang-jin, emeritus professor at Seoul National University, advocates the "Jungmin" ideology. Jung in Korean language is an abbreviation of Jungsan that refers to the middle class, and min is an abbreviation of minjung that refers to the people. He explains that he created the term Jungmin since the idea of minjung (the people) advocated by activists have limits in explaining Korea`s democracy. The idea behind his theory is that democracy in Korea wasn`t led by the proletariat (minjung) who suffered further poverty and alienation due to failure of modernization, and instead the middle class formed by success in modernization aimed for reforms. The view that modernization in Korea was a success reflects positive eval‎uations on the administrations led by former President Rhee Syng-man and Park Chung-hee.

Professor Han was mired in disputes after he referred to the late former President Rhee as "the father of the country" during his tribute at Rhee`s cemetery as head of preparation committee of the newly formed opposition People`s Party. It is natural to perceive the establishment of the Government of the Republic of Korea in 1948 as the time as the national foundation year. This is not a view based on the New Right historical view.

If the time of establishment of the Government of the Republic of Korea is not regarded as when the nation was founded, the time of the establishment of provisional government is even more not the time when the nation was founded. The refugee government was formed by moving the already existing government, but provisional government is a government prior to the government formation. If some people say the establishment of the Government of the Republic of Korea isn`t equal to the national foundation year, this means that the Republic of Korea was never founded.

As Han`s comment stirred disputes, the People`s Party said it will pay tribute to Kim Koo, a nationalist and unification movement activist. Kim didn`t join the activity of establishing the Republic of Korea, but was still different from Park Heon-young, Kim Won-bong and Yeo Un-hyung who joined or cooperated with the forces of late former North Korean leader Kim Il Sung. Kim Koo had a noble will for the unification of two Koreas. Nevertheless, it doesn`t seem innocent to plan the tribute to Kim Koo`s cemetery that wasn`t initially scheduled.

Speaking about the Korean movie "Dongmakgol," People`s Party head Ahn Cheol-soo said he read the spirit of the times from an episode of the movie in which the South Korean and North Korean armies combined forces to fight against the U.S. soldiers. This must have startled many people since such a response would come only when a person is immersed in studies of before and after liberation from Japan. After the liberation, all people excluding six including Kim Won-bong who went to the North, and three including Kim Koo who didn`t participate in government establishment, besides 26 who died or suffered disease, were passed to the government of the Republic of Korea. Anh must have been aware of this.



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