S. Korean activist detained in Israel to return home following voluntary deportation
Activist Kim Ah-hyun, front left, who was detained in Israel, is seen in this photo provided by her father, Kim Tae-wan. Courtesy of Kim Tae-wan
By Yonhap
SEOUL/ISTANBUL — A South Korean activist aboard an aid vessel seized by the Israeli military while approaching the Gaza Strip will return home after agreeing to voluntary deportation, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday.
The activist, identified as Kim Ah-hyun, was among scores of people aboard one of 11 ships bound for Gaza that were intercepted by Israeli forces last Wednesday.
The Korean national detained in Israel is scheduled to board a flight bound for Istanbul, Turkey, early Friday (local time) under what the ministry described as a form of "voluntary deportation," before returning home, the ministry said.
A consul from the Korean Embassy in Israel confirmed Kim's boarding and departure at an Israeli airport, and the Korean consulate in Istanbul will continue to provide necessary consular assistance, it noted.
Earlier in the day, civic activists, including Korea Civil Society in Solidarity with Palestine and Gangjeong Friends, told Yonhap News Agency that Kim is said to have been transferred to Ketziot Prison in a desert in southern Israel.
The activists criticized the detainment, saying Israel is treating the flotilla participants as "terrorists."
In an Instagram post on Friday, Gangjeong Friends said most activists on the Gaza aid flotilla had been sent to "Ketziot Prison, which is notorious for its harsh and abusive conditions."
The group claimed that some of them have reported "physical abuse and inhumane treatment during and after the interception."
President Lee Jae Myung ordered maximum diplomatic efforts to ensure the safe and swift release and return of the South Korean national after he was briefed on the issue late Wednesday.
Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina also met with Barak Shine, deputy chief of the Israeli mission in South Korea, on Thursday afternoon and requested cooperation on the matter. Shine vowed to work for the safe and swift release of the South Korean national in accordance with due procedures.