President Lee disappointed by Israel's backlash, says criticism of human rights abuses "worth reflecting on"

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President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea stated on the 11th, "Given Israel's constant actions that violate human rights and international law, you would think they might reflect at least once on the criticism coming from people around the world who are suffering and in pain, but I am disappointed."
On the same day, President Lee shared on X (formerly Twitter) a news article titled "Israel says it 'cannot tolerate' President Lee's remark equating wartime killings with the Holocaust" and added this comment.
In response to a post President Lee had uploaded on X the previous day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel said via X that the president had made remarks downplaying the Holocaust on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day. It said such comments were unacceptable and deserved strong condemnation. The ministry also argued that, in particular, regarding the case President Lee mentioned, "he cited a fake account that falsely presented a 2024 incident as if it were happening now," claiming the content originated from an account that has spread anti-Israel disinformation.
President Lee countered, saying, "If I am in pain, others hurt just as much. It is only human to feel sorry when someone suffers because of my needs."
He went on, "It is very distressing to watch our people, who have done nothing wrong, suddenly subjected out of the blue to this immense pain and national hardship," adding, "For universal human rights and for South Korea's national interest, I need to work even harder to find what more can be done."
The previous day, President Lee had shared on X a video claiming that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tortured a Palestinian child and then threw the child off a building. He commented at the time, "There is no difference between the forced mobilization of comfort women that we condemn, the Holocaust, and killings committed during wartime."
Later, President Lee posted an additional message, saying, "International humanitarian law must be observed under any circumstances, and human dignity must be upheld as a non-negotiable, top priority value." He explained, "The footage shows a real incident that occurred in September 2024, which the White House described as 'deeply disturbing,' and U.S. officials, including John F. Kirby, called it disgusting and unacceptable. I understand that Israel has also conducted a related investigation and taken measures in response."
cjk@fnnews.com Choi Jong-geun Reporter