But South Korean democracy was not something the US gave to the Koreans, or even always encouraged. From the late 1940’s to the late 1980’s, the US played along with, and sometimes actively backed, anti-Communist authoritarian rulers, who grabbed and consolidated their powers through violent coups and the suppression of dissent.
但南朝鲜民主却不是美国赋予朝鲜人的，甚至不是美国一直鼓励的。从20世纪40年代末到80年代末，美国一直容忍、有时甚至是积极支持反共产主义的独裁统治者，这些统治者通过暴力政变和压制反对派攫取并巩固权力。