Inha University Online Petition to Restore Syngman Rhee Statue Draws 12,600 in Three Days

[Financial News]  An online petition calling for the statue of former President Syngman Rhee to be re-erected at Inha University drew more than 12,500 signers in just three days. 
According to the Inha University Syngman Rhee Statue Restoration Committee, made up of current Inha University students, 12,602 people had signed the online petition launched on the 11th as of 11 a.m. on the 14th. The students behind the restoration effort stressed the case for restoring the statue, saying, “It is only natural to honor the university’s founder,” and, “We want to return to its rightful place the statue that was erected with donations from Korean compatriots in Hawaii and later disappeared.”
However, the student council and alumni association issued a statement opposing the restoration, and the university also refused to approve both related events. After the on-campus event fell through, those pushing for the restoration said they would hold a launch ceremony outside the rear gate.
The debate has drawn attention because it is not merely about installing a statue, but also reflects a clash of historical interpretations over who founded Inha University and its founding spirit.
The group pushing to restore the statue is “Inha Spirit,” which is made up of some current students. They argue that a symbol honoring the former president’s achievements is needed on campus, given that he proposed and pursued the establishment of an engineering college in Incheon in 1952.
By contrast, the Inha University Student Council Alumni Association issued a statement on the 12th making its opposition to the restoration clear. It stresses that Inha University was not founded by a single politician, but was built through the efforts of Korean immigrants in Hawaii, Incheon residents and the people.
The statue now slated for restoration was erected in 1979 near Inkyung Lake, a lake on campus, and stood 6.3 meters tall. It was removed by about 400 students on November 2, 1984. At the time, the students objected to the former president’s long rule, dictatorship and the March 15 election fraud, among other things. An attempt to rebuild it in 2010 and plans to install a commemorative sculpture for the university’s 70th anniversary in 2024 also fell through amid opposition.
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