History of the Jews in South Korea
- History of the Jews in South Korea
The first sizable Jewish presence in Korea was during the Korean War, when hundreds of Jewish soldiers participated in the American-led effort to repel a communist attempt to control the whole peninsula. Among the participants was Chaim Potok, who served as a chaplain. His experiences in Korea led to the book, "The Book of Lights and I am the Clay".
Most of the Jewish community in South Korea resides in Seoul. The community is comprised mostly of U.S. military personnel and their families, business people, English-language journalists and teachers, and tourists. [Scheib, Ariel "The Virtual Jewish History Tour- South Korea" Jewish Virtual Library http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/south_korea.html] The Jewish population is constantly in flux, due to the rotation of U.S. military personnel in the country. While the soldiers have a Jewish chaplain at the Yongsan Army Base, their services are restricted and off-limits to most civilians. At this time, there are no Jewish schools, but a Chabad Rabbi has arrived in Seoul in Passover 2008.
Israel has full diplomatic relations with South Korea, and the sizable Christian population in the country also keeps ties strong between the countries. In August 2005, the Jerusalem Summit promoting Christian support for Israel was held in Seoul. [The Jerusalem Summit http://www.jerusalemsummit.org/eng/index_js_asia_seoul.php] In contrast, neighboring North Korea has no known Jews within its borders, and is openly hostile towards Israel.
See also Religion in South Korea.
References
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