"If Syngman Rhee is the Father of the Nation, what about the April 19 Martyrs?"... Concerns Raised Over Glorifying the 'Founding War'

Jeon Woo-yong "Do Not Disgrace the Constitution"

The documentary film 'Geon-guk Jeonjaeng' (The Founding War), which deals with the political trajectory of Syngman Rhee, the first president of South Korea, is gaining popularity, but conflicts surrounding the film's content are also intensifying. Jeon Woo-yong, a historian and research professor at Hanyang University's East Asian Studies Institute, has warned against excessive 'glorification' of the former president.

On the 18th, Professor Jeon posted on his social media account, emphasizing, "If Syngman Rhee is the 'Father of the Nation' (Gukbu), then the martyrs of the April 19 Revolution become 'bastards who drove their father away'." He pointed out that the legitimacy of the April 19 Revolution in 1960, which was a reaction against Rhee's dictatorship, could be undermined.

'The Korean War' still image [Image source=Docustory]

Professor Jeon added, "All citizens of the Republic of Korea who inherit the democratic ideals of the April 19 Revolution, which protested injustice, essentially inherit the 'spirit of bastards.' No matter how much one wants to emulate Syngman Rhee's vices, let's stop insulting the April 19 martyrs and the Constitution of the Republic of Korea."

'Geon-guk Jeonjaeng' is a film highlighting the life of the former president, which was released on the 1st and has recorded a cumulative audience of about 700,000 so far. In particular, the film is gaining popularity through word of mouth among conservative politicians, YouTubers, critics, and celebrities.

However, the film has also faced criticism from some quarters for attempting to glorify the former president. For example, Jin Joong-kwon, a special professor at Kwangwoon University, appeared on a radio show on the 13th and described 'Geon-guk Jeonjaeng' as a "pointless film," criticizing, "The April 19 Revolution is explicitly mentioned in the preamble of our Constitution, so I wish these anti-constitutional acts would stop."

He questioned, "The very criteria for reevaluating Syngman Rhee are our community's historical records. This film significantly deviates from the usual ways of organizing historical records. What are they doing?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.