Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.
Israelis in Korea devastated by war-torn homeland
A rally supporting Israel in its ongoing war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas takes place near Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Tuesday. Newsis
By Lee Hyo-jin
Counteroffensive targets Hamas, not Palestinian civilians: Israeli ambassador
Around 500 Koreans and Israelis gathered in Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Tuesday, waving Israeli flags to show solidarity with the Jewish state in its ongoing war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The rally was organized by the Korea-Israel Friendship Foundation and the Israel Forum.
The protest not only consisted of messages condemning Hamas's brutal attack on Israeli civilians, but also a prayer for peace delivered by a rabbi. The participants also sang the Israeli national anthem, "Hatikva," which means "The Hope" in Hebrew, as the demonstrators mourned the many lives lost and those who remain missing.
Some Israeli participants became emotional during the rally, shedding tears and hugging each other.
"Israel is a small country. We all know someone whose close family member or friend got killed or kidnapped," Lihi Snir, a university student studying East Asian studies in Israel, told The Korea Times.
Snir, who was traveling in Seoul during her semester break, was initially planning to return to Israel earlier this week. But her flight got canceled in the aftermath of the ongoing military conflict.
"Now I'm not sure when I can fly back to Israel. I don't even know if I can go home before my new semester starts later this month," she said.
Lihi Snir, an Israeli university student studying East Asian studies, sheds tears during a pro-Israel rally in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
An Israeli man who came with his wife and two young daughters, said, "The situation in Israel is not easy... Our family moved to Seoul a few days ago because I got a job here. But we came to the rally today to show support for our country."
After the demonstration, some Korean participants were seen giving flowers to the Israelis, as a message of condolence to the lives lost by Hamas's assault.
Chung Ye-one, a student at Seoul National University, who lived in Israel most of her life and graduated from high school there, voiced worries about her family and friends.
"I feel so bad and worried about what's happening in Israel. My parents still live in Jerusalem and some of my friends have joined the military. I really hope the situation calms down soon," Chung said.
Israeli Ambassador to Korea Akiva Tor listens to a prayer by Rabbi Osher Litzman during a pro-Israel rally at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
Israel seeks to end Hamas
Israeli Ambassador to Korea Akiva Tor, who joined the rally, thanked the Korean government and the people of Korea for their steadfast support for Israel.
“I would like to thank the Republic of Korea government for its strong statements of condemnation of Hamas’s atrocities and for being a friend of Israel,” the envoy said.
He added that Israel's counteroffensive on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, which is creating a humanitarian crisis, is not aimed at Palestinian civilians.
“The Palestinian people are not the enemy of Israel, nor are the people of Gaza our enemy. Israel will conduct war at all times like a NATO army...We are clear in our aims. The Hamas terror organization will not retain any ability to harm Israel at the end of this struggle," the ambassador said.
Joy Sakurai, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, also attended the event in a show of the U.S. government's solidarity with Israel.
“Let me be crystal clear. The United States stands with Israel. There is no justification for terrorism. There is no excuse," she said, telling the Israeli envoy that the U.S. administration has, and will continue to support Israel's right to self-defense.
But at the same time, she stressed that "Civilians should not have to suffer for Hamas’s atrocities."
“It's important that the decisions made moving forward reflect the shared values we hold for human life and human dignity, taking every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians,” Sakurai said.
Participants of a pro-Israel rally held in Seoul, Tuesday, hold posters condemning Hamas for its kidnapping and killing of Israelis. Yonhap
Tuesday's demonstration was the first pro-Israel rally held in Korea since the Palestinian militant group’s surprise attack on the Jewish state on Oct. 7.
The event was held two days after a large demonstration supporting Palestine was held in Seoul’s central Itaewon neighborhood. About 500 Koreans, Palestinians and foreign residents took part in that demonstration on Sunday, demanding the Israeli government to stop its military operation in the Gaza Strip and blaming Israel's measures against Palestinians as the root cause of the war.
The dual rallies in Seoul came amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. Some 1,300 Israelis were killed by the Hamas attack with nearly 200 taken hostage, while Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes and heavy bombardments in the Gaza Strip have killed more than 2,800 Palestinians.