The Ideological Background of Land Reform: Syngman Rhee's Understanding of "Democracy"

Abstract

During the Constituent Assembly that began in May 31 1948, Syngman Rhee, the Chairman of the National Assembly, supported Land Reform and mentioned about democracy. During his speech called "The Problem of Land Reform" in December 4 1948, President Syngman Rhee argued the three reasons why the Land Reform should be done: Christianity, abolition of discrimination according to social status, and democracy. The thesis analyzes how "democracy" was depicted in Rhee's major writings and activities in three periods. The Late period of Joseon (1895~1910) is when Rhee argued democracy, Christianity, and the ideology of freedom and equality through his writings at Hansung Prison. The Independence Movement period (1910~1945) is when Rhee, through interview and works, explained democracy as freedom and equality that rooted from the Bible. The early period of the foundation of Korea (1945~1950) is when Rhee, through speeches, applied his conviction in democracy through the Land Reform. The ideological background that abolished the landlordism continued for thousands years and distributed lands to farmers for the first time in the history was Rhee's democracy.