In this episode we go back to the origins of the split between North and South Korea, as we learn about another famous statesman: Syngman Rhee. He was a gifted scholar, a revolutionary, a prickly, authoritarian ruler – and a dangerous driver. We’re joined for this episode by special guest David Fields, a historian and associate director of the Centre for East Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

In this episode we go back to the origins of the split between North and South Korea, as we learn about another famous statesman: Syngman Rhee. He was a gifted scholar, a revolutionary, a prickly, authoritarian ruler – and a dangerous driver. We’re joined for this episode by special guest David Fields, a historian and associate director of the Centre for East Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

In this episode we go back to the origins of the split between North and South Korea, as we learn about another famous statesman: Syngman Rhee. He was a gifted scholar, a revolutionary, a prickly, authoritarian ruler – and a dangerous driver.&nbsp;We’re joined for this episode by special guest David Fields, a historian and associate director of the Centre for East Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.&nbsp;

Episode 73 - Syngmann Rhee

This podcast series is a journey through history, one guided by the lyrics of Billy Joel’s song “We Didn’t Start the Fire". Join us for an educational and fun exploration of the events, people, and inventions that helped to shape the modern world during the Cold War. These roughly half-hour episodes place a microscope on each of Billy Joel’s lyrics, discovering the rich detail that helps breathe life into the past. Narrated by Robin Harrison, each episode also features interviews with guest speakers, including experts in the field and friends and family of the people being discussed. Together, we’ll learn why Billy Joel wrote the lyrics he did and hopefully come to understand what he meant when he sang “We didn’t start the fire, it was always burning, since the world’s been turning.”

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Episode 73 - Syngmann Rhee

Episode 73 - Syngmann Rhee