Francesca Maria Barbara Donner ( ko, 프란체스카 도너; ''Peurancheseuka Doneo''; June 15, 1900March 19, 1992) was the inaugural

First Lady of South Korea The first lady of the Republic of Korea (, informally referred to as FLOTROK or FLOSK), commonly known as the first lady of South Korea, is the titled held by the hostess of the presidential residence, usually the wife of the president of South ...

, from 1948 to 1960, as the second wife of Syngman Rhee, the first president of the Republic of Korea.

Personal name

According to birth documents, she was born Franziska Donner. She later used the spelling Franzeska Donner (even in official documents). Otherwise, the most common spelling of her name was the Italian form, Francesca. This version is used in all of her South Korean documents (including her passport).

Early life and education

Donner was born in the municipality of Inzersdorf, a suburb of the capital Vienna which was incorporated into the City of Vienna, into the family of a soda water industrialist. She was the daughter of Franziska (Gerhartl) and Rudolf Donner. She graduated with a Ph.D. in languages from the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich hist ...

, before working at the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...

in Geneva as an interpreter and lower-level diplomat. In 1933, she met Korean politician Syngman Rhee (Yi Seung-man 이승만) in a Geneva hotel. At the time Rhee was living in the United States and was on a visit in Geneva. He visited Donner shortly afterwards in Austria and asked to marry her. Donner followed him to the United States and the marriage took place in 1934 in New York.Yi Sun-ae, ''Peurancheseuka Ri Seutori'' (Seoul: Raendeom Hauseu Jungang, 2005). For both, it was their second marriage.

Career

Syngman Rhee and Franziska Donner in 1933

Donner and Rhee lived initially in New York and Washington, D.C., and then in Hawaii, where a large Korean expatriate community-in-exile was politically active. Donner worked in the U.S. as Rhee's secretary, particularly in the preparation of the book ''Japan Inside Out'' (1940). After the defeat of Japan in World War II, Rhee returned to Korea in October 1945 with the support of the U.S. government and Donner followed him there a few months later. In March 1948, Rhee was elected first president of South Korea, an office he held until 1960. "Francesca Rhee" was from 1948 to 1960 the first First Lady of South Korea. She appeared at her husband's side in almost all public functions. When the Rhees were forced into exile in 1960, they settled in Hawaii. Donner cared for her husband after he suffered a stroke and until his death on July 19, 1965. She then returned to Austria.

Later life

After five years of residence in Austria, which she had left more than 30 years earlier, Donner returned to South Korea in 1970. She lived from 1970 to 1992 in Seoul, specifically in the Ihwajang, the former home of President Rhee, together with their adopted son, (; ''Yi In-su'') and his family.

Death

Donner died on March 19, 1992, in Seoul, South Korea.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Donner, Francesca 1900 births 1992 deaths Austrian women in politics Austrian emigrants to South Korea First Ladies of South Korea People from Liesing Austrian expatriates in the United States Burials at Seoul National Cemetery