Syngman Rhee and Kim II Sung as Nationalists

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Were both Syngman Rhee and Kim Il Sung nationalists?

It is not possible to consider both Syngman Rhee and Kim Il Sung nationalists since their political views and actions were rather dissimilar. Out of these two Korean leaders, Syngman Rhee’s politics was closer to nationalism. Meanwhile, Kim Il Sung’s politics was based on the ideas of communism.

The nationalistic ideas of the President of South Korea Syngman Rhee were reflected in his desire to make the country prosperous and create decent living conditions for the people. Syngman Rhee promoted the interests of his nation and defended the right to self-governance. He did not want to let any outsiders interfere with the country’s private concerns.

In 1945, when the Soviet Union and the US gathered at Moscow Conference and suggested to authorize a trusteeship for Korea and arrange the collaboration between the right-wing (nationalist) party and the left-wing (communist) one, Syngman Rhee turned down the proposal. Moreover, he rejected the suggestion to join the US Soviet Union Cooperation Committee. Syngman Rhee’s purpose was to make Korea independent. Therefore, this leader may be considered as a nationalist.

Unlike Syngman Rhee, Kim Il Sung built his politics on the ideas of internationalism. This dictator and leader of North Korea supported communism and was engaged in active cooperation with the Soviet Union. Under the rule of Kim Il Sung, North Korea was considered a country with the totalitarian regime. The rights of the Koreans were abused in many ways, the harshest of them being mass executions and putting people in prison camps. The cult of personality of the President started to dominate North Korea’s domestic politics. Therefore, due to his political inclinations, it is impossible to consider Kim Il Sung as a nationalist.

How should we define Korean nationalism in the first half of the twentieth century?

In the first half of the twentieth century, Korean nationalism was largely defined as a variety of national resistance movements. This form of nationalism was initiated at the end of the nineteenth century. There were significant divergences in the approaches to these movements in south and north. After the foreign powers intrusion in the late nineteenth century, Koreans were forced to build their identity with the help of methods that put them in opposition to foreigners.

At the time of colonial period, nationalists in Korea led the struggle for independence, competing against the impact of the Japanese rule in the country. In 1910, Korean nationalists obtained annexation that was proclaimed in the Japan─Korea Annexation Treaty. In accordance with the treaty, the Emperor of Korea acknowledged his sovereignty over the territory of Korea, and the Emperor of Japan accepted such an acknowledgment. That period in Korean nationalism was called the Military Police Reign Era because the Police obtained the jurisdiction to govern the whole country.

The next significant period for Korean nationalists in the first half of the twentieth century was the time preceding World War II. In 1910-1941, large numbers of the Japanese moved to Korea due to Japan being overpopulated. However, not only did they move to Korea but they also became landowners, leaving the native Koreans the possibility only to become tenants. Such a state of things did not satisfy the Koreans, and the nationalists were protesting against such policies.

Koreans created secret groups and armies, as well as the so-called governments in exile. With the help of these organizations, Koreans fought the Japanese wherever they could be found. Therefore, Korean nationalism in the first half of the twentieth century was defined as a series of national resistance movements.

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Syngman Rhee and Kim II Sung as Nationalists

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