Female Activist Heads to Palestine Again Despite Ministry Blockade [What Do You Think?]

[Financial News] A South Korean female activist who was previously detained in an Israeli prison and later released is again seeking to visit the Gaza Strip in Palestine, sparking controversy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea has issued an order for her to return her passport, triggering a clash with civic groups supporting the activist.
Progressive civic groups held a protest rally on the 2nd in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea at Government Complex-Seoul in Jongno District, Seoul, condemning the ministry for blocking the activist’s visit to the Gaza Strip.
In October last year, South Korean activist Kim Ah-hyun, who goes by the activist name Haecho, joined a relief flotilla opposing the blockade of the Gaza Strip and headed there by boat. The vessel was seized by Israeli forces, and she was detained in a local prison. She was released two days later following active intervention by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea.
However, when Kim recently moved to visit the Gaza Strip again, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea sent her a passport return order on the 25th of last month, stating that her passport would be invalidated if she did not return it within seven days. The document was delivered to her residence in Korea on the 27th, two days later.
It has been reported, however, that even before the ministry took this action, Kim had already granted litigation authority to a legal team from Lawyers for a Democratic Society (MINBYUN) in mid-March and then departed for a third country.
On the 1st, MINBYUN—Lawyers for a Democratic Society held an emergency press conference at its main conference room in Seocho District, Seoul, under the title "Emergency Press Conference on the Lawsuit to Cancel the Passport Return Order Against Activist Haecho and the Application for an Injunction to Suspend Its Execution."
MINBYUN also filed an application for an injunction to suspend execution of the ministry’s measure until a ruling is made in the main lawsuit. MINBYUN argued, "The moment her passport becomes invalid, Kim will be unable to carry out any aspect of her daily life overseas," stressing that there is a risk of irreparable harm and an urgent need to halt the enforcement of the order.
Under the Passport Act and related regulations, the Gaza Strip is designated as an area where travel and stay are prohibited without prior authorization. Anyone who visits or stays there without obtaining exceptional authorization to use a passport, despite being aware of this, may face up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won. Kim is reportedly not responding to recent attempts by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea to contact her, nor has she replied to text messages or emails urging her to stop trying to revisit the Gaza Strip.

rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter