"It's Only Natural to Commemorate the Founder" vs. "Glorifying Dictatorship"... Controversy Over Syngman Rhee Statue Pulled Down at Inha University 40 Years Ago

Student group announces restoration committee launch for Nov. 14
Progressive Party youth committee posts flyers opposing it as “glorifying dictatorship”
University denies venue reservation for launch ceremony over clash concerns

Controversy has erupted over efforts to reinstall a statue of former President Syngman Rhee that students at Inha University pulled down more than 40 years ago.

Opposition posters appear after restoration committee announces launch; university denies venue reservation

The statue of Syngman Rhee at Inha University, erected in 1979 and removed in 1984. It is reportedly being kept in a storage facility. Inha University

According to the Incheon chapter of the Progressive Party and others, the “Inha Spirit” group, made up of five Inha University students, announced that it would hold a launch ceremony for the “Inha University Syngman Rhee Statue Restoration Committee” on Nov. 14 in front of Inkyung Lake, a campus lake. In a statement of purpose posted on social media, the group said, “What university has no monument to the former president who led Inha University’s founding?” and argued that “it is only natural for a university to commemorate its founder.” It added, “We will restore the statue to its original location by 2027, using voluntary donations from alumni and citizens, without university funding.”

On the same day, “Inha Spirit” will also co-host a “Youth Leadership Workshop” on campus, inviting former Employment and Labor Minister Kim Munsu. The lecture program reportedly includes “The founding of the Republic of Korea and the economic miracles under Presidents Syngman Rhee and Park Chung-hee.”

The Incheon chapter’s youth committee of the Progressive Party put up posters opposing the plan on campus. The committee opposed the restoration, saying, “Inha University joined the 4·19 Revolution, and it was a school where our seniors pulled down the statue of former President Rhee with their own hands in 1984.” Regarding the workshop, it also said, “What young people need is not leadership that glorifies dictatorship, but politics that changes inequality,” and called on the university to explain why it approved the venue reservation.

After the controversy arose, Inha University denied the venue reservation for the launch ceremony, citing the possibility of a clash between the two sides. A university official said, “We denied the request for the launch ceremony due to safety concerns, and approved the venue reservation for the workshop on the condition that it be held only within the purpose and scope of the event as originally submitted.” The official added, “We notified the organizers that the event would be stopped immediately if any clashes or safety issues arose.”

Erected in 1979 and removed in 1984... Statue has been in storage for 40 years

In 1952, during the Korean War, former President Rhee ordered the establishment of an engineering college in Busan, where the government was taking refuge. Inha University opened in 1954 as Inha Institute of Technology. Its name combines “In” from Incheon and “Ha” from Hawaii. Funding for its establishment came from donations sent by Korean Americans as part of a project marking the 50th anniversary of Korean immigration to Hawaii, as well as proceeds from the sale of the Korean Christian Institute in Hawaii, which Rhee had operated there. The statue of Syngman Rhee, including its pedestal, stood 6.3 meters tall and was erected near Inkyung Lake in 1979. In 1984, students protesting Rhee’s dictatorship and pro-Japanese activities removed it. It has since been kept in storage for more than 40 years.

In February 2025, Incheon City Council member Heo Sik, then a member of the People Power Party, called for a statue to be erected at Inha University during a council session. At the time, a university official said, “The university has neither pursued the installation of a statue of Syngman Rhee nor considered it internally.”

Meanwhile, during the 4·19 Revolution, student protesters toppled a statue of former President Rhee at Tapgol Park in Seoul and dragged it into the street. At Pai Chai University in Daejeon, a statue of Rhee erected on campus by alumni in 1987 was removed twice and later reinstalled. On the anniversary of the 4·19 Revolution in April 2019, groups calling for the statue’s removal and groups demanding that it remain held rallies at the same time in front of Pai Chai University’s main gate.

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