Re: US OSS Detachment for Korea

[Ed Evanhoe <ede@oio.net>]

>YS,

> >>Rhee called himself the 'Washington Representative of the Korean 
> Provisional
>Government in Chungking'  (not its "head" as stated in some history books
>here in America).  There were several Korean-American leaders who worked
>closely with Kim Gu, who had kicked out Rhee. Rhee was a loner (= despot)
>and had few followers in America.<<

It is my understanding that Rhee set up "The Korean Government in Exile"
with headquarters in Hawaii shortly after the start of WWII and this was done
with funding and help from the U.S. State Department who apparently viewed
Kim Gu as someone they would have trouble dealing with if he was leader of
Korea after the war and saw Rhee as much more easily controlled.  While I have
nothing solid to base this on other than small snippets, given the way
the US got Rhee to Korea and then supported his election, despite blatant and
obvious corruption, indicates to me that is pretty close to the truth.

Ed

Ed Evanhoe, PO Box 916, Antlers, OK, 74523
Author:  DARKMOON: Eighth Army Special Operations in the Korean War
Co-list owner, KOREAN-WAR-L (listproc@ukans.edu)
Web Site:  http://www.korean-war.com