First Republic of South Korea

대한민국
大韓民國
Daehanminguk
Republic of Korea

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1948–1960

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Anthem
애국가
The Patriotic Song

Capital

Seoul (1948-1950, 1952-1960)
Pusan (1950-1952)

Government

Presidential republic

President

- 1948-1960

Syngman Rhee

Legislature

National Assembly

History

- July 24, 1948

Proclamation of the Republic of Korea

- April 19, 1960

April Revolution

Currency

South Korean won

Military Government of Korea

South Korea

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The First Republic was a former state of South Korea.

Background

The first Republic of Korea (Korean: 제1공화국; RR: Jeil Gonghwaguk; lit. "first republic") was the government of South Korea from August 1948 to April 1960. The first republic was founded on 15 August 1948 after the transfer from the United States Army Military Government that governed South Korea since the end of Japanese rule in 1945, becoming the first independent capitalist republican government in Korea. Syngman Rhee became the first president of South Korea following the May 1948 general election, and the National Assembly in Seoul promulgated South Korea's first constitution in July, establishing a presidential system of government.

The first republic claimed sovereignty over all of Korea but only controlled Korea south of the 38th parallel until the end of the Korean War in 1953, when the border was modified. The first republic was characterized by Rhee's authoritarianism and corruption, limited economic development, strong anti-communism, and by the late 1950s growing political instability and public opposition to Rhee. The April Revolution in April 1960 led to Rhee's resignation and the transition to the second Republic of South Korea.^[1]