1948

The Jeju Massacre (or the April 3rd Incident, 4.3 사건) happened on April 3, 1948. In continuation of the protests from the last year against the division of Korea and the upcoming election which was to be held only in the US-military controlled territory, as well as the ongoing violence from right-wing groups and police in Jeju, members of the Worker’s Party of South Korea (남조선노동당) attacked police stations. Syngman Rhee, with full support of the US military, declared martial law and began to destroy nearly 60% of Jeju’s 400 villages and killed as many as 30,000 civilians, nearly 10% of the entire island’s population, in an attempt to destroy communists and suspected communist sympathizers.

Syngman Rhee is elected president of South Korea in an election that only involved the southern half of the Korean peninsula.

The National Security Law (NSL) is drafted by Syngman Rhee, instituting anti-communism in South Korea.