S. Korea to designate its first president's house as national relic

SEOUL, March 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to designate the residence of the nation's first president, Syngman Rhee (1875-1965), as a historical landmark, officials said Wednesday.

The 4,800-square-meter "Ihwajang," located in Jongno, central Seoul, is where the
late president announced the nation's first Cabinet roster for his government
launched in 1948, and lived for two years from 1947-1948 and again in 1960 until
he left the office and went into exile in Hawaii.
The residence is currently designated as a Seoul City monument.
"We have requested that Ihwajang be designated a landmark as it demonstrates the
history of traditional Korean-style homes of the 1930s and the surrounding land
and trees have been well preserved," the Cultural Heritage Administration said in
a press release.
The Cultural Properties Committee, composed of experts and government officials,
will decide on the designation by early next month, the administration added.
Reflecting the Cold War tension on the Korean Peninsula at the time, Rhee's
legacy is still disputed here between conservatives who see him as the patriarch
of the nation and liberals who criticize him for dictatorial rule.
Rhee was considered anti-communist and pro-America.
The residence of Kim Koo, who competed with Rhee for the presidency in 1948, has
already been recognized as a historical relic.