The Making of the First Korean President: Syngman Rhee's Quest for Independence, 1875-1948

Chronology of Syngman Rhee’s Career to 1948

295 Chronology of Syngman Rhee’s Career to 1948 1875 March 26: Born the only son of Yi Kyŏng-sŏn and his wife, surnamed Kimhae Kim, in P’yŏngsan County, Hwanghae Province. 1877 moves to Seoul and lives in Yŏmdong, Naktong, and then todong near Sungnye-mun (South Gate). 1881 april: Begins the study of the Chinese classics at traditional tutorial schools, including Naktong School and todong School. 1890 marries a young woman of the Ŭmjuk Pak clan, later known as Pak Sŭng-sŏn. 1895 april 2 through July 8, 1897: Studies Western learning at Paejae College in Seoul. He delivers an English speech, titled “the Independence of Korea,” as one of the valedictorians at the commencement ceremony. 1898–1899 Plays a prominent role in the reform movement launched by the Independence Club as a newspaper editor, orator, and organizer of the mass meetings sponsored by the club. 1898 NoveMber 28: appointed a Councilor of the Privy Council. 1899 JaNuary 9 through august 7, 1904: Incarcerated in Hansŏng (Seoul) Prison for involvement in an ill-fated attempt to do away with the absolutist monarchy in favor of a constitutional one; evangelizes Christianity among the prisoners after converting to Christianity himself, and authors Tongnip chŏngsin (the spirit of independence) while in prison. 1904 october 15–NoveMber 4: Serves the Sangdong Youth Institute as its first principal. NoveMber 4: leaves Korea for the United States on a secret diplomatic mission. 1905 February through JuNe 5, 1907: Studies at the Columbian College of arts and Sciences, George Washington University , and receives a Ba degree. February 20: meets with U.S. secretary of state John m. Hay accompanied by Congressman Hugh a. Dinsmore. 296 Chronology of Syngman Rhee’s Career February 25: His only son, Pong-su, succumbs to diphtheria in the United States. april 23: receives baptism from rev. lewis t. Hamlin of the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant in Washington, D.C. august 4: meets with President theodore roosevelt at roosevelt’s Sagamore Hill residence in Oyster Bay, New York, at 3:30 p.m., and asks for roosevelt’s support for the maintenance of Korean independence in the wake of the russo-Japanese War. 1907 septeMber: Enrolls in the graduate school of arts and Science, Harvard University. 1908 July 10–15: attends the Korean Patriots’ Delegation Convention held in Denver, Colorado; elected chairman of the convention. october: Enrolls in the doctoral program at the graduate school of Princeton University. 1910 February: Publishes Tongnip chŏngsin (the spirit of independence ) in los angeles. February 23: receives an ma degree from Harvard University. July 18: receives the diploma of a PhD degree from Princeton University after the trustees of Princeton University granted the degree on June 14. october 10: returns to Seoul, Korea. october through March 26, 1912: Works at the Seoul YmCa as its Student Department secretary and as the principal of the YmCaacademy. 1910–1911 WiNter: marriage with his first wife breaks down. 1911 late JuNe: Plays a central role in the Second Student Summer Conference of the Korean YmCa held at the angloKorean School in Kaesŏng as the secretary-general of the conference. 1912 JaNuary: Princeton University Press publishes Syngman rhee’s PhD dissertation as a book. March 26: leaves Korea to avoid the persecution of the Japanese colonial government. May 1–29: attends the Quadrennial General Conference of the methodist Episcopal Church in minneapolis, minnesota, as a Korean lay delegate. JuNe 19: meets with Governor Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey at Wilson’s summer home. 1913 February 3: arrives in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. august 26: appointed the principal of the Korean Boarding School for Boys (“Korean Compound School”) by the Chronology of Syngman Rhee’s Career 297 Hawaii methodist Episcopal mission; renames the school the Korean Central School. septeMber 30: Begins the publication of a monthly magazine , T’aep’yŏngyang chapchi (Korean Pacific magazine), in honolulu. 1915 JuNe 5: Seizes control of the KNa-Hawaii after ousting the organization’s incumbent leaders through “tempestuous” means. october 14: Establishes the Korean Girls’ Seminary in honolulu. 1917 March: Publishes the second edition of Tongnip chŏngsin in honolulu. august: Publishes Ch’ŏng-Il chŏn’gi (a history of the Sino-Japanese War) in Honolulu. 1918 March 19: His old friend, Pak Yong-man, denounces him as a “dictator” after the second “tempest.” septeMber: Founds the Korean Christian Institute...