Rhee, Syngman, << ree, SIHNG muhn >> (1875-1965), a Korean statesman, served as the first president of the Republic of Korea from 1948 to 1960. He resigned in 1960, soon after his election to a fourth term, because of widespread riots following unfair election practices.
Rhee was born on March 26, 1875, in Hwanghae province, Korea, and was educated in Seoul. Imprisoned from 1897 to 1904 for leading student demonstrations for independence, he wrote the book Spirit of Independence (1904). He then studied in the United States at George Washington, Harvard, and Princeton universities. Rhee lived in exile in Honolulu for 20 years. He returned to Korea after Japan surrendered in World War II (1939-1945), but went back to Hawaii following his resignation. He died on July 19, 1965.
