'Controversy over restoration of Syngman Rhee statue' held at Inha University... no conflict

인하대학교 설립에 주도적 역할을 한 이승만 전 대통령 동상을 복원하는 것을 놓고 대학 구성원들의 찬반 집회가 열렸다.

'Inha Spirit', a small group made up of Inha University students, held a ceremony to launch the Syngman Rhee Statue Restoration Committee at the back gate of Inha University on the morning of the 14th and began a full-scale restoration movement.

Police estimated that about 30 rally participants chanted slogans while holding pickets that read, “Let’s restore the statue of Syngman Rhee” and “Sungman Rhee, the founder of Inha University.”

Jeong Dae-gyo, a student at Inha University, said, “We are starting (the restoration movement) to properly understand and honor the founder, Syngman Rhee,” and emphasized, “The committee will be comprised only of current students.”

Former Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moon-soo, who attended the launch ceremony on this day, said, "It is only natural to restore the statue of Syngman Rhee, who established Korea's education and founded Inha University," and added, "It is those who are ashamed of the Republic of Korea who brought down the statue of Syngman Rhee."

The signature campaign to restore the statue, which Inha Spirit has been conducting since the 11th, received about 13,000 signatures as of 1 p.m. that day.

At the same time, the ‘People at Inha University Against the Far Right’ also held a counter-rally at the back gate of Inha University opposing the restoration of the statue of former President Lee.

Police estimated that about 30 rally participants protested, holding pickets that read, “The far right should not set foot in Inha University,” and “No statue of Syngman Rhee.”

Previously, the Progressive Party's Incheon City Party Youth Committee posted a poster on campus opposing the attempt to restore the statue.

The Youth Committee pointed out, “Inha University participated in the April 19 Revolution, and is the school whose seniors pulled down the statue of Syngman Rhee with their own hands in 1984,” and added, “(Restoring the statue) means re-establishing the dictatorship after 40 years.”

The Inha University Student Council Alumni Association claimed, “It is a distorted claim that the founder of Inha University is Syngman Rhee,” and that “he only proposed the establishment of an engineering college in 1952 in response to demands from his compatriots.”

Previously, Inha University had banned an event related to the restoration of Syngman Rhee's statue from being held on campus due to concerns about clashes between participants from both sides.

Accordingly, the two sides faced off at a distance of about 5 meters from the back gate of the university, each shouting slogans for and against restoring the statue.

During the rally, some shouts were exchanged between the rally participants, but no physical conflict occurred.

The police set up a control line to separate the movement lines on both sides and prepared for a possible collision.

A police official said, "There were no 112 calls related to this rally," and "The rally ended without any major clashes."

In December 1952, during the Korean War, former President Lee was in Busan, his refuge, and instructed then Minister of Education Kim Beop-rin to establish an engineering college in Incheon.

Hawaiian residents endured hard labor in the sugarcane fields and contributed to the opening funds of Inha University. To commemorate their dedication, the name of the school, 'Inha University,' was named after the first letters of 'Incheon' and 'Hawaii'.

In 1979, a 6.3m high (including 3m pedestal) statue of former President Lee was erected in the garden near Ingyeong Lake on campus. However, five years later, in 1984, students took issue with his dictatorship and pro-Japanese activities and tore down the statue by tying it with ropes during a pro-democracy protest.

Afterwards, the plan to install a bust or sculpture of former President Lee was considered several times, but was canceled due to opposition.