Yoon's history games: How dictator’s son’s apology furthers New Right agenda



Opinion Yoon’s history games: How dictator’s son’s apology furthers New Right agenda Apologies for deaths caused by Syngman Rhee in 1960 revolution align with conservative presidencies, inviting suspicion Benjamin A. EngelSeptember 5, 2023 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON President Yoon Suk-yeol attends an event commemorating the 69th anniversary of the founding of the Korea Freedom Federation, a major conservative civic group, June 28, 2023 \| Image: ROK Presidential Office Lee In-su, the adopted son of the ROK’s first president, Syngman Rhee, expressed remorse for the repression of the April Revolution of 1960 and apologized to the victims of state violence. While this move from Lee mirrors similar recent apologies from descendants of other former leaders, the sincerity of his gesture is under scrutiny. Rhee’s legacy remains controversial in South Korea. His presidency met its abrupt end following the April Revolution, an uprising instigated by electoral fraud and other autocratic measures. The official death toll from the revolution stands at 186, with a majority being college students who spearheaded the © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. LATEST ANALYSIS 01Trump’s Cheongung social media post tests Seoul’s refusal to arm to Ukraine 02Lee Jae Myung risks public trust as South Korea rewires its justice system 03South Korea turns to Central Asia as Iran war tests its energy resilience 04Houthi seizure of Mokha sharpens South Korea’s Hormuz deployment dilemma 05Japan’s stronger yen may cut Korea’s import bill while raising funding costs 06South Korea leans on Europe as Hormuz deployment choices grow narrower 07Hanwha’s Austal bid shows where South Korea’s MASGA plan may be heading 08China’s Taiwan pressure may reveal more disciplined strategy toward South Korea

Opinion

Yoon’s history games: How dictator’s son’s apology furthers New Right agenda

Apologies for deaths caused by Syngman Rhee in 1960 revolution align with conservative presidencies, inviting suspicion

Benjamin A. EngelSeptember 5, 2023

Yoon’s history games: How dictator’s son’s apology furthers New Right agenda

President Yoon Suk-yeol attends an event commemorating the 69th anniversary of the founding of the Korea Freedom Federation, a major conservative civic group, June 28, 2023 | Image: ROK Presidential Office

Lee In-su, the adopted son of the ROK’s first president, Syngman Rhee, expressed remorse for the repression of the April Revolution of 1960 and apologized to the victims of state violence. While this move from Lee mirrors similar recent apologies from descendants of other former leaders, the sincerity of his gesture is under scrutiny.

Rhee’s legacy remains controversial in South Korea. His presidency met its abrupt end following the April Revolution, an uprising instigated by electoral fraud and other autocratic measures. The official death toll from the revolution stands at 186, with a majority being college students who spearheaded the

Yoon’s history games: How dictator’s son’s apology furthers New Right agenda

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Benjamin A. Engel