The Fellowship’s Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein speaking at the Eagle Christian school in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: The Fellowship.

JNS.org – Christian support for Israel in South Korea is stronger than ever according to the founder and president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship), Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein.

“I was humbled and grateful to see our friends in South Korea and deeply encouraged to know that their support for Israel and the Jewish people has never been stronger,” Eckstein stated last week after completing his fifth trip to South Korea since 2012.

During Eckstein’s latest “bridge-building trip” to the Korean Peninsula, he met with Christian leaders and church members in the South Korean capital of Seoul, and also visited The Fellowship’s locally based office.

Eckstein met with Christians from Joyous Church, the Sungrak Church, Yeshua Church and Eagle Christian School, who are all strong advocates for Israel and have a combined congregation numbering in the tens of thousands.

According to The Fellowship, around 20 percent of South Korea’s 50 million people are Protestant, and these figures include thousands of Christians who are strong supporters of the Jewish state.

As part of their advocacy for Israel, the Fellowship’s South Korean supporters have contributed funds towards the organization’s aliyah program that facilitates immigration to Israel for Jews from France, Ukraine and 24 other countries.

South Korea has maintained relations with Israel since its founding in 1948, with formal relations established in 1962. Both countries, which separately face existential threats from rogue states North Korea and Iran, have strong defense ties as well as relations in areas such as renewable energy, science and technology.