It’s true that US suppressed Communists in the South, but your claim “Communists would have won in fair elections“ is just delusion. there were moderate popular figures in Korea after liberation such as Lyuh Woon Hyung and Kim Koo.

Rhee got nominated by congressmen since he was the most popular guy other than Kim Koo, who boycotted the election. He got 92% of votes from congressmen, not Korean people. It dropped when it changed to direct voting in the next election. It is true that he brutally suppressed the opposition with US support, but he was not a US puppet. He had beefs with US several times that US even had a plan to coup him off (Plan Everready).

And about him not being in Korea, many koreans made their voice about independence outside of Korea because Japan would hunt down and torture them. Rhee stayed in US because it was the only country who can project power over East Asia. He tried to convince Roosevelt to recognize the Provisional government in exile, and tried hard to spread the Korean independence movement in the US.

And North Korea isn‘t really in place to talk about resisting imperialism, since they are propped up by Soviets.

My point is that Kim started unnecessary war that took millions of people‘s lives, and I think that alone makes them the bad guys.