Tag: Israel

This is a perfect example of why you have to be careful of what you post on X because so much information out there is not true:

The foreign ministry expressed regret Saturday over what it described as a “misunderstanding” by Israel of President Lee Jae Myung’s remarks on the situation in the Middle East.

In a post on its official X account, the ministry clarified that Lee’s comments reflect “an expression of his convictions regarding universal human rights rather than an opinion on any specific issue.”

The online diplomatic exchange began Friday when Lee shared a video purportedly showing members of the Israel Defense Forces mistreating a Palestinian boy.

Lee drew a parallel between the forced sexual servitude imposed on Korean women under Japanese colonial rule, the Holocaust and wartime killings.

In a follow-up post, he clarified that the video was dated from September 2024 and called for the upholding of human rights and international humanitarian law under all circumstances.

“Human rights are the last safeguard and a value that must never be traded away,” he wrote.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli foreign ministry issued a strong protest against Lee’s original post, calling it “unacceptable” and warranting “strong condemnation.”

It also disputed the relevance of the video, adding the content originated from an account “notorious for spreading anti-Israeli disinformation and falsehoods about Israel.”

In a subsequent post, Lee said it was “disappointing” that Israel had not taken the opportunity to reflect on the widespread criticism from people around the world regarding concerns over human rights and international humanitarian law.

Yonhap

Here is the X post that Lee posted:

Here is where Grok confirms the post is propaganda that Lee fell for:

You can read more at the link, but clearly President Lee is more comfortable taking shots at Israel with this X post than he is Iran. Why didn’t President Lee criticize the mullahs when they were busy massacring tens of thousands of protesters? You would think after the Gwangju Incident that the Korean left would be championing the human rights of any protesters being slaughtered by their government.

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]