South Korea’s President Accuses Israel: "It Abducted One of Our Citizens"

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung attacked Israel today (Wednesday) following the detention of South Korean citizens who took part in the flotilla to Gaza. According to the president, Israel "abducted" a South Korean citizen illegally and in violation of international law, and he described its action as "excessive" and as something that was "not appropriate at all" (way out of line).

The remarks were made during a cabinet meeting in which Lee addressed the detention of Korean citizens who were arrested by Israel in "international waters." During the meeting, the South Korean president also referred to the international arrest warrant against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "Most European countries have announced that they would arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu, and we need to make a decision on that as well."

The Foreign Ministry announced overnight that the Turkish flotilla "has come to an end," and that all 430 activists who took part in it had been transferred to Israeli vessels that are making their way to Israel, where they will be able to meet with consular representatives from their home countries.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said: "This flotilla proved once again that it is nothing more than a public relations stunt in the service of Hamas." It also said: "Israel will continue to act in full accordance with international law and will not allow any violation of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza."

The criticism from Seoul comes after the aid organization "The Korean Flotilla for Free Palestine" said that the navy took control early this morning of the ship "Lina al-Nabulsi," which was making its way from Italy to the Gaza Strip. On board were, according to the organization, South Korean activist Kim Ah-hyeon and Korean-American activist Jonathan Victor Lee, who were detained during the operation.

According to the organization, this incident follows another takeover that took place two days earlier involving the ship "Kyriakos X," on board which the Korean activist Kim Dong-hyeon was present. The organization also claimed that, unlike in previous cases, this time IDF forces chose to detain the activists and sink the vessel at sea, rather than tow it to port.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said it is working through diplomatic channels to ensure the safety of the Korean citizens and to secure their quick release. At the same time, it was clarified that Kim Ah-hyeon had previously already had her passport revoked following similar attempts to reach the Gaza Strip.