The Yeosu-Suncheon Rebellion, also known as the Yeo-Sun incident, was an October 1948 rebellion that took place in Yeosu, Suncheon, and surrounding towns, South Jeolla against the fledgling South Korean Syngman Rhee government largely cued by that government's suppression of the Jeju Uprising and refusal of Yeosu soldiers to help suppress the rebellion. In Yeosu, the rebelling South Korean soldiers seized weapons and took control of the town. The residents paraded through the town holding red flags. They restored the town people's committee, and tried and executed a number of police, officials, and landlords. The rebelling soldiers increased between 2,000 and 3,000, and massacred rights families and Christian youth. After one week the South Korean army overwhelmed the rebels. The matter was reviewed by the South Korean Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which found that government forces killed between 439 and 2000 area civilians. U.S. forces played a role in suppressing the rebellion: U.S. commanders planned and directed the military operations, U.S. military advisors accompanied all ROK units, and U.S. aircraft were used to transport troops.
Park Chung-hee, who would later become the president of Korea, participated in the rebellion. It is alleged, however, that he was punished leniently in exchange for agreeing to hunt down those involved.
Famous quotes containing the word rebellion:
“The rebellion is against time pollution, the feeling that the essence of what makes life worth living—the small moments, the special family getaways, the cookies in the oven, the weekend drives, the long dreamlike summers Mso much of this has been taken from us, or we have given it up. For what? Hitachi stereos? Club Med? Company cars? Racquetball? For fifteen-hour days and lousy day care?”
—Richard Louv (20th century)