건국초기 미국의 對韓政策과 이승만의 대응책 (1948～1950)

United States Policy toward South Korea and Syngman Rhee s Recognition Diplomacy and His Effort for Nation Building (1948-50)

This article is purposed to reexamine the United States policy toward South Korea and Syngman Rhee s recognition diplomacy and his desperate effort for nation building during 1948-50. The study range of this article would confine from an early stage of the new-born Republic to the outbreak of the Korean War. At that time, the new-born Republic had to encounter with severe challenges from the internal and external enemies. The economic poverty, social disorder and the revolt of the left-wing were threatening the country s national security and foundation. In addition, the continuing fighting between the North and the South along the 38th parallel was a bad symptom on the eve of the war. During the fall of 1948, the United States assisted Dr. Jang Myeon and other Korean representatives in the diplomatic process of persuading democratic countries among UN members into recognizing the new-born Republic of Korea. Finally, 3th UN General Assembly at Paris agreed with the recognition upon South Korea on December 12, 1948l. This was not only Syngman Rhee s diplomatic victory against Kim Ilsung and but also brilliant victory of the American UN diplomacy against the Soviets and the Communist bloc. However, the strong support of U.S. toward the new-born Republic remained in the diplomatic level. The economic and military assistance of U.S. were not enough to recover the devastated South Korean economy and to protect South Korea from military threat of North Korea. The policy makers of the United States were reluctant to save the new-born Republic of Korea with all-out effort. After the withdrawal of the U.S. armed forces from the Korean Peninsula, American policy toward South Korea became more cautious, ambivalent and even non-consistent in purpose of stabilizing South Korea. While United States government could not succeed to gain the strong support from the Republican dominated Congress, it also failed to give South Korea a full amount of the economic and military assistance. But the new-born Republic could not survive without the American full support. The first president of the Republic of Korea, Dr. Syngman Rhee who has recognized this dangerous situation did his best efforts to deal with upcoming economic collapse and communist threat. He urged U.S. government to give more weapons and materials. But his expectation was not satisfied because U.S. government was afraid of Rhee s offensive unification policy and it seemed that this U,S. fear against Rhee s offensive tone had some negative influence upon equipping South Korean armed forces with more heavily offensive weapons. Syngman Rhee desperately tried to conclude the strong defensive treaty with the other asian countries, Taiwan India, and the Philippines. so called the Pacific Alliance. But the U.S. policy makers intervened to press the leader of the Philippines the new model into a moderate economic cooperation system. Finally, because of the outbreak of the Korean War, the United States was destined to pay the high price in intervening of the Korean War.