Syngman Rhee and Kim II Sung as Nationalists Essay

Exclusively available on IvyPanda Available only on IvyPanda

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.

We will write a custom essay on your topic a custom Essay on Syngman Rhee and Kim II Sung as Nationalists
808 writers online

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.

1 hour!
The minimum time our certified writers need to deliver a 100% original paper

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.

Print
This essay, "Syngman Rhee and Kim II Sung as Nationalists" is published exclusively on IvyPanda's free essay examples database. You can use it for research and reference purposes to write your own paper. However, you must cite it accordingly.
Removal Request
If you are the copyright owner of this paper and no longer wish to have your work published on IvyPanda.
Request the removal
Need an custom research paper on Syngman Rhee and Kim II Sung as Nationalists written from scratch by a professional specifically for you?
808 writers online
Cite This paper
Select a referencing style:

Reference

IvyPanda. (2020, December 24). Syngman Rhee and Kim II Sung as Nationalists. https://ivypanda.com/essays/syngman-rhee-and-kim-ii-sung-as-nationalists/

Work Cited

"Syngman Rhee and Kim II Sung as Nationalists." IvyPanda, 24 Dec. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/syngman-rhee-and-kim-ii-sung-as-nationalists/.

References

IvyPanda. (2020) 'Syngman Rhee and Kim II Sung as Nationalists'. 24 December.

References

IvyPanda. 2020. "Syngman Rhee and Kim II Sung as Nationalists." December 24, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/syngman-rhee-and-kim-ii-sung-as-nationalists/.

1. IvyPanda. "Syngman Rhee and Kim II Sung as Nationalists." December 24, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/syngman-rhee-and-kim-ii-sung-as-nationalists/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Syngman Rhee and Kim II Sung as Nationalists." December 24, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/syngman-rhee-and-kim-ii-sung-as-nationalists/.

Powered by CiteTotal, free citation maker
More related papers
Cite
Print
1 / 1