Politics of Spatiality and Eschatological Fantasy: The Holocaust Museum in the Demilitarized Zone of the Korean Peninsula

The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea exemplifies the ongoing Korean War and the persistent political division of the peninsula. In May 2025, the Korea Israel Bible Institute (KIBI), a Christian Zionist organization based in South Korea, inaugurated the Holocaust Museum in Paju, a city adjacent to the DMZ. This paper critically examines how Korean Christian Zionists embed Holocaust remembrance within their political theology to foster a sense of identification with Israel. It examines how both the physical landscape of Paju and its symbolic significance influence their political fantasies regarding Korea’s future, which are profoundly linked with their theological and political aspirations concerning Israel. Employing critical spatial analysis, the paper explores the politics of spatiality among Korean Christian Zionists, focusing on how tangible and imagined spaces shape their theological and political narratives and how their eschatological visions develop a unique geographical imagination within one of the world’s most heavily militarized zones.