Study On The Rightization Of Korean Society In Syngman Rhee Era

After World War II,American-Soviet relations gradually evolved into mutual containment instead of the alliance in wartime accompanied by the intensifying conflicts in ideology and national interests. When the Iron Curtain of the Cold War extended to the Northeast Asia, U.S.-Soviet cooperation on resolving the Korean issue came to nothing. All political forces on the Korean Peninsula fighted each other in order to Win the political dominance, Resulting in political chaos. Therefore, it not only directly leaded to the failure of independently reunification of the peninsula, But also greatly facilitated the rise of right-wing leaders, Syngman rhee. Under this background, the Rightists led by Rhee with the support of the USA divided the nation and firstly established a country in the south of Peninsula, which made Korean politics turn to the right.Republic of Korea equipped with the basic framework of American democratic system from the beginning of the establishment, but Rhee Government implemented dictatorship all the time. It established a highly centralized dictatorship in ROK with the diplomatic policy on a tough anti-communist and pro-American and the internal policy on high-pressured authoritative rule. Diplomatically, it focused on marching to the north and unifying country and ROK-US Alliance.Domestically,it implemented terrorizing politics, Supported the chaebol, Strengthened the anti-communist ideology, and retained the violent organizations.As the initial regime,12years of Rhee Government’s dictatorship directly shaped the overall construction of South Korean national system and determined the long-term rightization of Korean society. Under the despotic power, the right occupied the mainstream of Korean society, Political democratization was delayed, Korean society tended to polarize, ROK Attached to the USA Seriously, and the long trend toward division of the Korean peninsula. However, it was certainly that some democratic factors was implied in Rhee Government’s dictatorship,which provided a social basis for the transformation of political democratization in the future. In short, Rhee Government’s dictatorship had a comprehensive and profound impact on the korean society in terms of ideology, politic, economy and diplomacy.