South Korean President Compares Israeli Killings to Nazi Holocaust, Sparking Debate

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung escalated a rare foreign policy confrontation with Israel on April 11, when he published posts on X comparing Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wartime conduct in Gaza to the Nazi massacre of Jews - triggering an Israeli diplomatic rebuke and renewed discussion of Seoul's foreign policy posture amid an acute energy crisis.

Lee's post, shared just days before Israel's annual Holocaust remembrance day, Yom HaShoah, observed on April 14, described IDF "wartime killings" as "no different from the Jewish massacre" carried out by Nazi Germany in World War Two.

He also reposted footage that he said depicted Israeli troops torturing and throwing a Palestinian from a rooftop - an incident the IDF said in 2024 it was investigating.

Israel's Foreign Ministry responded sharply on Saturday, April 12, stating on X that Lee "chose to dig up a story from 2024" and accusing him of the "trivialization of the massacre of Jews."

The ministry called his remarks "unacceptable and warrant strong condemnation."

South Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a measured response, saying it was "regrettable" Israel had "misunderstood" Lee's remarks, which it characterized as being about "universal human rights."

Lee did not retreat. On Saturday he said it was "disappointing" that Israel had criticized him, adding: “It’s disappointing that you don’t even once reflect on the criticisms from people around the world who are suffering and struggling due to your relentless anti-human rights and anti-international law actions.”

Lee's posts arrived as South Korea - one of the world's largest importers of oil and gas - faces a surge in energy prices following U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran. Tehran has closed the Strait of Hormuz to tanker traffic, placing South Korea's energy supply chains under direct pressure.

Lee referenced "immense pain and national hardship" now "befalling our innocent citizens," though he did not name Iran or the energy crisis directly.

"For the sake of universal human rights and the national interests of the Republic of Korea, I must work harder to find things I can do," Lee wrote in his follow-up statement.

The episode divided South Korean political opinion along familiar partisan lines. The country's conservative party accused Lee of a lack of prudence while Lee's own Democratic Party of Korea defended the remarks.

Song Young Gil, the party's former leader, said: "This article once again confirms the reasons why one cannot help but respect and trust President Lee Jae-myung," adding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "should heed President Lee Jae-myung's remarks" and exercise restraint.

The mainstream Joongang Ilbo newspaper cautioned on Monday that Lee "would be well advised to recognise the weight of a president's remarks and the risk of misunderstanding from unfiltered comments on social media, especially in sensitive global disputes."

Lee's X posts are described as a "rare instance" of the president engaging in international politics via social media,