55th memorial ceremony for Pres. Rhee Syng-man held at Ewhajang

A memorial ceremony for the 55th anniversary of the death of former President Rhee Syng-man took place at Ewhajang, the late leader’s residence in Seoul’s Jongno district on Sunday. Attendees at the ceremony, which was hosted by the Memorial Association For Founding President Syng-man Rhee, included Rhee’s bereaved family members, adopted son Rhee In-soo and his wife, Patriots and Veterans Affairs Minister Park Sam-deuk, and former Defense Minister Kwon Young-hae.

Also in attendance were Floor Leader Joo Ho-young of the main opposition United Future Party, Reps. Choi Seung-jae, Ji Sung-ho, Shin Won-shik, Cho Myung-hee, Kim Ki-hyun of the party, and independent lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun. President Moon Jae-in sent memorial flowers.

“Former President Rhee laid the cornerstone for market economy, and freedom and democracy of the nation,” Floor Leader Joo said in his memorial speech. “I have a sense of shame due to doubt about whether his successors and decedents are properly maintaining the ideology and direction of the Republic of Korea as founded by the late leader, and feel shamed and regretful for failing to do so.”

The late former President Rhee was elected to the first president of the Provisional Government when it was established in Shanghai, China in 1919. He declared the establishment of the Republic of Korea’s government in 1948 after Korea’s liberation from Japan’s colonial rule, and was inaugurated as the first president of the republic.

A memorial ceremony for the 73rd anniversary of the death of Yeo Un-hyeong, who served as assistant minister of foreign affairs for the Provisional Government, was also hosted by the Mongyang (penname) Yeo Un-hyeong Memorial Society at his cemetery in Gangbuk, Seoul on the day. In attendance at the event were his bereaved family members, Lee Byung-koo, assistant minister of the Patriots and Veterans Affairs Ministry, Reps. Kang Chang-il, Chun Joon-ho and Kim Young-bae of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, and Kim Geo-seong, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs.


Sang-Ho Yun ysh1005@donga.com