Gov’t warns formerly detained activist not to attempt Gaza entry again
This screeenshot shows an announcement that some 20 "Thousand Madleens to Gaza" ships will depart from Marseille, France, April 4, bound for the Gaza Strip to support Palestine. Captured from Thousand Madleens to Gaza Korea's Instagram
A Korean activist detained by Israel last October after joining a Gaza aid flotilla is attempting to enter the Gaza Strip again, the foreign ministry announced Tuesday, urging her not to proceed and cautioning that the region is far more dangerous than it was at the time of her previous attempt.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has learned that the Korean national who previously attempted to enter the Gaza Strip on a Gaza aid flotilla is again trying to visit the area," a foreign ministry official said. "We urge the individual against entering a region subject to a travel ban, as the person’s safety and life could be at risk.”
The official noted that conditions throughout the region have deteriorated sharply. Israeli attacks have killed 670 people in the Gaza Strip since last October, with at least 36 deaths since Feb. 28 when the U.S. and Israel began their war with Iran. Missile and drone strikes are now occurring across the entire Middle East, the official added.
The activist is widely identified as Kim Ah-hyun, also known as Haecho, who is believed to be planning to join a new flotilla to Gaza along with two other Korean nationals.
The NGO she is affiliated with, Thousand Madleens to Gaza Korea, announced on Instagram that around 20 ships will depart from the port of Marseille, France, April 4, converging at an international rendezvous point before sailing together toward Gaza to support Palestine and provide aid.
In October 2025, Kim was among a group of international humanitarian activists aboard an aid ship carrying medical supplies and other goods bound for Gaza when Israeli authorities seized the vessel. She was released two days later after agreeing to voluntary deportation.
In a Hankyoreh interview published Jan. 19, Kim said three Koreans, including herself, had already committed to sailing on a Korean vessel and were recruiting more participants.
It is known that the government warned Kim through multiple channels that proceeding with the plan could result in administrative sanctions under the Passport Act, as well as potential criminal penalties.
The Gaza Strip is designated as a travel ban zone, which prohibits Korean nationals from visiting or staying there without special government permission. Violators face up to one year in prison or fines of up to 10 million won. The government may also invalidate the passport of anyone who defies the order.