On Passover 2010 I flew for my Bar Mitzvah to China and South Korea.

In Seoul, South Korea I reached the mall and in front of it there were many flags surrounding it, I looked and I went through all the flags and I saw the Israeli flag. At that moment I was very happy and asked my mother to photograph me with the flag. Around the flag of Israel were the flags of France, Canada, Australia, Hungary and the Philippines.

In April 1962, an agreement was signed between Israel and South Korea. Over the years the two countries established great ties and cooperation in agriculture and education. The South Koreans also implemented our model of the Kibbutz (collective settlement).

The situation had even improved after the Madrid Conference in 1991. Israeli companies invest in South Korean companies and vice versa. In 1993, a year after the reopening of the Israeli embassy in Seoul, the Korean embassy opened in Tel Aviv. The two countries have nurtured a healthy and flourishing relationship.

There are also several similarities between Israel and South Korea. Both countries became independent in 1948 and still maintain a strong connection to the USA. They're both somewhat isolated: Korea is actually a peninsula with a hostile border and Israel is the only democracy among many hostile dictatorships. Both countries also have mandatory army service.

My picture of the flags in South Korea.