Kim Hyun-bin began his journalism career at Arirang TV from 2012 to 2017, specializing in defense, foreign affairs and the economy. In 2018, he joined The Korea Times, covering society and business, and is currently responsible for embassy affairs.
Israeli, German envoys warn of antisemitism at Holocaust ceremony
Israeli Ambassador to Korea Rafael Harpaz speaks during the International Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Embassy of Israel in Seoul
By Kim Hyun-bin
The Israeli and German embassies in Korea jointly hosted an International Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony and special exhibition in Seoul on Tuesday, marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day and calling for renewed global commitment to confronting antisemitism, racism and historical distortion.
The event, titled “Remembering for the Future,” commemorated the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. International Holocaust Remembrance Day was officially designated by a United Nations General Assembly resolution in 2005 to honor the victims of the Holocaust, combat antisemitism and discrimination, and reaffirm the universal values of human dignity, human rights and democracy.
At the ceremony, Israeli Ambassador to Korea Rafael Harpaz said the Holocaust remains “painfully relevant today,” warning that the passage of time risks dulling awareness of its lessons, even as hatred toward Jewish people persists and intensifies.
“The Holocaust stands as the most brutal crime in human history,” Harpaz said, noting that six million Jews were systematically murdered by Nazi Germany and its collaborators, including 1.5 million children. He said that three generations after the liberation of Auschwitz, memory inevitably begins to fade, making it easier for such events to feel distant or irrelevant.
Harpaz warned that antisemitism has not disappeared since World War II and is now increasingly amplified by artificial intelligence and social media, allowing hatred and disinformation to spread at unprecedented speed. Jews and Israelis, he said, continue to be targeted not for their actions but for who they are.
The Israeli ambassador also highlighted the Holocaust’s enduring impact, describing his country's founding as a response to the catastrophic consequences of Jewish defenselessness. Israel, he said, was established as a homeland and refuge following the genocide, an understanding he said some seek to challenge today.
German Ambassdor to Korea Georg Schmidt speaks during the International Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Embassy of Germany in Seoul
German Ambassador Georg Schmidt also marked the historical significance of the day, noting that exactly 81 years ago that Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz and images of the mass murder that took place there shocked the world.
Auschwitz, Schmidt said, symbolizes the Holocaust like no other place and represents crimes carried out on an industrial scale. He added that while the number of people killed goes beyond human imagination, personal stories help convey the human reality behind the statistics.
Schmidt highlighted the story of German-Jewish painter Felix Nussbaum and his wife, who were among the more than 1.1 million people murdered at Auschwitz. Nussbaum’s works, which depict persecution under Nazi rule, are being shown in Korea for the first time.
The exhibition “Remembering for the Future” features “On the Move with Felix Nussbaum,” organized by the Felix-Nussbaum-Gesellschaft, and “Auschwitz – A Place on Earth: The Auschwitz Album,” presented by Yad Vashem. Both exhibitions aim to deepen understanding of Auschwitz and demonstrate how discrimination, hatred and state violence lead to tragedy.
Schmidt said Germany bears an enduring historical responsibility for the Holocaust, describing it as one that remains part of German identity. He emphasized the importance of protecting democracy and the rule of law as safeguards against hatred and exclusion, noting the strong link between democratic systems and the protection of human rights.
The joint ceremony reflected the shared commitment of Israel and Germany to confront historical tragedy through memory, responsibility, reconciliation and solidarity. Since 2017, the two embassies have held annual joint Holocaust remembrance events, which have become a symbolic platform for reaffirming international ethics, cooperation and responsibility.
The ceremony was attended by the Israeli and German ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps and invited guests.
The exhibitions will be open to the public from Jan. 28 through March 15, 2026.