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The London School of Economics and Political Science the American The London School of Economics and Political Science The American Press and the Rise of Authoritarianism in South Korea 1945-1954 Oliver Elliott A thesis submitted to the Department of International History of the London School of Economics for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, London, September 2016 1 Declaration I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it). The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. In accordance with the Regulations, I have deposited an electronic copy of it in LSE Theses Online held by the British Library of Political and Economic Science and have granted permission for my thesis to be made available for public reference. Otherwise, this thesis may not be reproduced without my prior written consent. I warrant that this authorisation does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. I declare that my thesis consists of 88,115 words. 2 Abstract This thesis looks at American press coverage of the rise of authoritarian rule in South Korea between 1945 and 1954, during the period of the American occupation government and the first six years of the Syngman Rhee regime. Making use of government, military and press archives, it is the first scholarly analysis of how the American press wrote about the early political development of South Korea and explores the question of why political repression under both the occupation and the Rhee regime did not receive greater attention from American journalists. This thesis focuses primarily on the production process of press coverage. Specifically, it shows how coverage of the authoritarianism issue was shaped by U.S. and South Korean political and military authorities, the professional working culture of the journalism profession and the worldviews and activism of individual journalists and lobbyists. It argues that coverage was sharply limited by five major factors. Firstly, the dominance of anti-Korean and Cold War press narratives ensured that relatively little attention was paid to the repression of the South Korean population. Secondly, most journalists working in the Far East were highly deferential to American authorities. Thirdly, American military authorities greatly constrained reporting during the occupation period. Fourthly, the Syngman Rhee regime became increasingly effective in its public relations activities. Fifthly, the low level of U.S. political interest in the political situation in South Korea greatly reduced the importance of the topic for the American press. 3 Acknowledgements This project began as a question conceived while preparing for a Master’s seminar with my supervisor Steven Casey. To him I owe a great debt of thanks for inspiring me to study the role of the press in American history and ensuring that the project remained on track. His comments and suggestions have played a crucial role in every step of the Ph.D. process. This thesis would not have been possible without the financial assistance provided by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Department of International History. Research visits to the United States were also supported by a great many kind people. I dedicate a special thank you to Jamie Nelson, Brian Slagle, Candy and Jonathan Pisciotti and Amy and Jon Wedell for their extraordinary hospitality and friendship. At LSE, I wish to thank Antony Best and Kristina Spohr for providing much needed perspective on the scope of this project at the end of my first year. Teaching on Antony’s course HY113 was one of the most intellectually stimulating experiences I’ve had during these four years and it greatly influenced the development of this thesis. I was fortunate to be surrounded by a wonderful group of peers- Cees Heere, Scott Gilfillan and Jin Li Lim always made attending HY501 a pleasure. I learned a great deal from the History Department’s research seminars and perhaps even more from the visits to the White Horse afterwards. Thanks especially to Jonas Gjersø, Rosalind Coffey, Aurelie Basha, Chris Parkes, Yu Suzuki, Artemis Photiadou, Nawal Mustafa, Takahiro Yammoto and Simon Toner for making four years at LSE such an enjoyable and memorable experience. A special thanks to Dan Wertz for putting me in touch with James Person at the Woodrow Wilson Center and for showing me the ropes of life in DC. James and the staff of the Woodrow Wilson Center, along with the staff of the Marshall Foundation, the Eisenhower Foundation’s Host Committee and Francesca Pitaro at the AP deserve special mention for the many kindnesses they bestowed on me. I also wish to thank the staff and fellow scholars who attended the American history seminar at the Roosevelt Study Center in Middelburg. Their positive and insightful comments came at a crucial moment in the Ph.D. I am also grateful to the University of Buckingham for providing a working space in which much of this thesis was written. Thank you to Charlotte Gaughan for reminding me of my love of history. Thanks also to Thomas Knecht, Pietro Cammerini and Seb Ash for providing just the right balance of encouragement and distraction at Bankside and elsewhere. The last four years in London wouldn’t have been anywhere near as fun without Christopher Beach, Thomas Daniels, Nicola Honer, Max Sloan, James Ellis, Hanna Krebs, Nadav Atik, Reanna Keer-Keer, Goran Lukic, Tom Brown and Catherine Tsalikis. Andy Gawthorpe has been a vital source of insight, enthusiasm and friendship. Finally, this thesis is dedicated to three people who offered the most incredible support through the highs and lows of the Ph.D. To my parents Tam and Dave, thank you for being always there to give a word of encouragement, advice or much needed perspective. And to Daria Gavrilova, who I met just a few months before this project began, thank you for all the love and the kindness. This could never have been done without you. 4 Abbreviations: AMG – American Military Government AP – Associated Press CIA – Central Intelligence Agency CINFE – Commander In Chief, Far East DOS – Department of State DPRK – Democratic People’s Republic of Korea FRUS – Foreign Relations of the United States INS – International News Service KMAG – Korean Military Advisory Group KPP – Korean Pacific Press NARA – National Archives and Records Administration OSS – Office of Strategic Services ROK – Republic of Korea ROKA – Republic of Korea Army SCAP – Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers UNCURK – United Nations Commission for the Unification and Rehabilitation of Korea UNTCOK – United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea UP – United Press USFlK – U.S. Forces In Korea USAMGIK – The United States Army Military Government in Korea 5 A note on transliteration This thesis includes both Chinese and Korean names. Both languages have multiple systems of Romanization. In order to avoid confusion, this thesis uses the older spellings of names that were in common use in the American press in the 1940s and 50s. 6 Contents Declaration .............................................................................................................................................. 2 Abstract ................................................................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................. 4 A note on transliteration......................................................................................................................... 6 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 8 Chapter 1: Occupation 1945-46: Hope and failure ............................................................................... 33 Chapter 2: Occupation 1947-48: Division and independence .............................................................. 71 Chapter 3: The ROK Problem 1948-1950 ............................................................................................ 102 Chapter 4: War 1950-1951 ................................................................................................................. 127 Chapter 5: The 1952 Crisis: Rhee’s Takeover ...................................................................................... 155 Chapter 6: The Rise of the ROKA ........................................................................................................ 181 Chapter 7: Legacies of war .................................................................................................................. 204 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................................... 226 Epilogue: Prelude to Vietnam? ........................................................................................................... 237 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................ 239 7 Introduction The right of the press to scrutinise government is a foundational element of American
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