Tag: Israel

At this point Israel should just let these people stay in Gaza and see how much they enjoy Hamas’ hospitality:

Crew of “Conscience,” a Gaza-bound vessel which is part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, sit aboard the boat as they are intercepted by Israeli security forces, in this screengrab obtained from a video released, Wednesday. Reuters-Yonhap

The foreign ministry said Wednesday it has requested Israel to promptly release a ship carrying a South Korean activist that was seized by the Israeli military while approaching Gaza.

According to local civic groups and foreign news reports, the Israeli military intercepted a nine- or 11-boat flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea early Wednesday (local time) trying to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and detained scores of activists aboard, and a South Korean national, named Kim Ah-hyun, was one of them.

The 145 activists, who were in good health, were being brought to shore in Israel for processing and are expected to be deported soon, they said, citing the Israeli foreign ministry.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

I am not sure why a South Korean would want to be in Iran in the first place, but it is probably a good time to get out there because the end of the regime could be near:

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday raised its travel advisory for Iran and Israel, urging its nationals to leave the countries immediately in response to ongoing missile strikes between Israel and Iran.

Effective from 1 p.m. Wednesday, Seoul time, the updated travel alert expands the existing Level 3 advisory — which recommends departure — to cover the entire country.

Previously, the Level 3 alert, part of the four-tier travel advisory system in which Level 4 constitutes a travel ban, applied only to certain regions within Iran.

“Accordingly, South Korean nationals currently staying in Iran are advised to leave the country as quickly as possible, following guidance from the diplomatic mission, while paying special attention to their personal safety,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

Eventually the current conflict in the Middle East will once again end with a so called diplomatic solution before each side rearms and does it all over again a few years later:

South Korea expressed “deep concern” Sunday over Israel’s recent attack on Iran, calling on all parties to seek a diplomatic solution to the situation.

Early Saturday, Israel’s military conducted strikes against various targets in Iran, including missile manufacturing facilities, in response to Iran’s missile attack earlier this month, according to foreign media reports.

“Our government expresses deep concern over the series of tension-escalating acts, including Israel’s attack on Iran,” foreign ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said.

Lee called on all the parties to break away from the “cycle of attack and retaliation,” calling diplomacy the only solution.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Another example of the increasing cooperation between South Korea and Japan. Previously South Korea had flew Japanese citizens out of Israel as well:

This Kyodo News photo, filed Oct. 23, 2023, shows a Japanese Air Self-Defense Force aircraft parked at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo on Oct. 21, after returning from Israel with Japanese nationals, 18 South Koreans and one foreign family member in an evacuation from the war-torn region. (Yonhap)

A Japanese aircraft carrying a group of South Korean nationals, along with its own people, returned from Israel on Friday, Seoul’s foreign ministry said, the second such flight Japan has offered after South Korea brought Japanese citizens home on its plane last month. 

The Air Self-Defense Force aircraft carrying 15 South Koreans and one foreign national family member related to a Korean national landed at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, at 6:45 p.m., the foreign ministry said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

A rally held in support of Palestine in Seoul on Sunday. Participants, ranging from Koreans to citizens of Egypt, Jordan and other countries in the region, uphold signs urging Israel to stop bombing Gaza. [YONHAP]

By Korean rally standards this is a very small group, however it did have U.S. embassy officials attend this rally in Seoul in support of Israel:

The flags of Israel and Korea held by participants of a rally in Seoul on Tuesday in support of Israel in the wake of the Hamas militant group’s attack on Israel and the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. [NEWS1]

Hundreds of Koreans and Israelis in Korea rallied to support Israel in Seoul on Tuesday as top diplomats from Israel and the United States stood side-by-side to voice support for the Jewish state in the wake of Hamas’s brutal attack on Oct. 7. 
  
“Thank you to all the Jewish and Israeli people living in Korea for coming today to Gwanghwamun and not giving in to fear or anxiety,” said Akiva Tor, ambassador of Israel to Korea, addressing the crowd gathered near Gwanghwamun Station in Seoul on Tuesday, many waving the flag of Israel. “I would like to thank the Republic of Korea’s government for its strong statements of condemnation of the Hamas atrocities and for being a friend to Israel.”

The rally, organized by the Korea-Israel Friendship Association and Israel Forum, was joined by some 200 participants, according to the organizers.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.