"We Will Go Again; Even If the Government Blocks Us, We Have the Right to Move" — Israeli-Detained Activist

[The Financial News] Korean activists who had been aboard a relief ship bound for the Gaza Strip and were seized by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) returned home on the morning of the 22nd. Despite the Foreign Ministry's move to invalidate their passports, they said they intended to re-enter the Gaza Strip and claimed they were beaten while in Israeli detention.
Activists Kim Ah-hyun, who uses the name Haecho, and Kim Dong-hyun arrived at Incheon International Airport at around 6:23 a.m. on a flight from Bangkok, Thailand. It was three days after they were seized by the IDF in waters near the Gaza Strip and Cyprus on the 18th and 19th. After being released on the 20th, they returned home using travel documents issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
Kim Ah-hyun, who was previously arrested for taking part in the same voyage in October last year, left the country after refusing the government's order to surrender her passport. Her passport has since been invalidated.
Explaining why she headed to the Gaza Strip, Kim said, "Many people are dying not only from bombardment but also from starvation." She added, "Because there are people there, I thought we should try sailing again, no matter how dangerous the situation in the Middle East may be." She went on to say, "I always plan to go back to the Gaza Strip," and "Even if the government tries to stop me through legal procedures involving my passport, people have the right to move to where they want to go."
Asked about the consular assistance provided by South Korea's diplomatic authorities, she said, "Many countries' consuls are trying to avoid diplomatic friction with Israel because the situation in the Middle East is dangerous." She added, "In that situation, I think the South Korean government did what it had to do."
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Kim also claimed that she was beaten while in Israeli detention. "Our ship was one of the last to be seized, so the IDF was in an excited state at the time," she said. "By the time we were taken to prison, many people had already been beaten, and I was hit in the face several times, so I can actually barely hear out of my left ear."
Kim Dong-hyun, who returned with her, also alleged, "What Israel did to us was violence: hijacking unarmed ships on the high seas, torturing civilians, and imprisoning them." He added, "Israel keeps saying these were lawful measures, but I want to emphasize that this is completely untrue." Photos showing activists kneeling with their hands tied during the seizure also sparked controversy in the international community.
The Korean Headquarters for the Flotilla for the Liberation of Palestine (KFFP), which has supported their activities, held a press conference at the airport and said, "Their voyage is a nonviolent peace movement." It added, "Only the liberation of Palestine is our destination, and the voyage will continue until we reach it." The group plans to hold a cultural rally condemning Israel this afternoon near the Embassy of Israel in South Korea in Jongno District.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Victor Lee, a Korean American who was also aboard the ship and was later released, is currently staying in Istanbul, Turkey.
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jjw@fnnews.com Jung Ji-woo Reporter