The first significant Jewish presence on the Korean peninsula appeared at the time of the Korean War (1950-53). Hundreds of Jewish American GIs were members of the armed forces which supported the anti-Communist government in resisting the invasion from the North.

The Jewish community of South Korea is essentially a transient group concentrated in Seoul. Many of the Jews are soldiers and officers who serve in the American force which is permanently stationed in South Korea.

There are also a handful of Jews who have come to live and work in South Korea as business people or teachers. On Shabbat and holidays, religious services are led by a US Army chaplain at Yongsan Army Base in Seoul. The first Jewish settlement in South Korea was established during the Korean War (1950-1953).

There are about 1,000 Jews living in South Korea. Most are U.S. service members, English teachers, diplomats or students from the United States or Canada who come to the east Asian country for a year or two.