Syngman Rhee Becomes President of South Korea

On July 20, 1948, Syngman Rhee was elected as the first President of the Republic of Korea by the National Assembly, following the May 1948 general election. On August 15, 1948, Rhee was officially inaugurated, establishing South Korea as an independent nation separate from North Korea after the end of Japanese colonial rule. This marked the beginning of the First Republic of Korea.