'That friendship is real' - Korean Christians show strong support for Israel amid rise in antisemitism worldwide

South Korea, in particular its Christian community, has shown strong support for Israel at a time of rising antisemitism worldwide. Despite being located on the opposite end of Asia, South Korea remains one of the few countries where public backing for Israel has held firm amid Israel's ongoing war with the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza.

The Israeli Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Rafi Harpaz, explained South Korea's support for Israel in an interview with Israel's Ynet News.

“Generally, the Korean public is supportive of Israel. Around 30% of Koreans are Christians, and they follow the developments in the Middle East closely. Since the Hamas attack on October 7, there has been strong attention here. We do have a very small but vocal anti-Israeli group – some of them clearly antisemitic. But overall, there is a very strong basic support for Israel among the Korean public,” Harpaz assessed.

South Korea is currently home to a tiny Jewish community, numbering around 1,000 people. The bulk of the community consists of U.S. military personnel and Jewish American businesspeople.

In May, the Korea Israel Bible Institute (KIBI) opened a Holocaust Museum in Paju City, north of Seoul. The first-of-its-kind institution in the Asian country seeks to become a shield against growing levels of international antisemitism.

Prof. Song Mansuk, a leader of the KIBI community, explained that the Hamas Oct. 7 mass terror attack on Israel has only increased the need to educate the public about the Jewish people’s long and often tragic history.

“After October 7, we witnessed a shocking rise in hatred toward Israel and the Jewish people – even here in Korea,” Mansuk stated. “It was a wake-up call for us: we must educate the public about the Jewish people, about the Holocaust, and about the real meaning of genocide. At the same time, we wanted to send a clear message of solidarity and support to the Jewish people.”

While anti-Israel rallies have dominated the streets in countries worldwide since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, pro-Israel events have been held in South Korea.

“Throughout the year, there were pro-Israeli demonstrations here. The last few months, domestic political crises have shifted the focus inward, but the friendship with Israel remains,” the Israeli ambassador revealed. He acknowledged a fringe but vocal anti-Israel and even anti-Jewish group that exists in South Korea.

“There is a small group of anti-Semites who call for boycotts of everything connected to Israel – sports, culture, economy, society. That is exactly antisemitism. Criticism is legitimate, but this goes far beyond. Still, we are not afraid. Israel is strong and moving forward,” Harpaz said.

However, the Israeli ambassador emphasized that the majority in South Korea is pro-Israel and the country shares many characteristics with Israel.

“The majority love Israel. Both our countries became independent in 1948, both were once very poor without natural resources, and both built strong economies under constant regional threats. We are both allies of the United States, and Koreans admire Jewish resilience, innovation, and history. Even in schools, they study the Talmud and the Bible, which creates a unique bond,” he said.

Mansuk expressed hope that the new Holocaust Museum in Korea will educate especially Christian Koreans about the Jewish people, the dangers of antisemitism and the Holocaust of six million Jews during World War II.

“Since the war between Israel and Hamas, antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment have been rising – even here in Korea. We decided to build a Holocaust museum to teach Korean people, especially Christians, about Jewish history and suffering. The Bible teaches that the Jewish people are God’s chosen people, and we should love and support them. Through this museum, we want Koreans to understand Israel without prejudice and to stand against antisemitism.”

The Israeli ambassador Harpaz concluded that South Korea offers hope to Israel and Jews worldwide at a time of record Jew-hatred around the world.

“The majority of Koreans love Israel. That friendship is real, and it gives us hope in a difficult time.”