Heroes or rule-breakers? Koreans divided over Gaza flotilla activists' return home
Kim Ah-hyun, left, an activist who was detained by Israeli forces while aboard a Gaza aid flotilla, and later freed on Wednesday, together with Kim Dong-hyeon, right, another activist who participated in the flotilla, talks to reporters after arriving at the Incheon International Airport, Friday. Yonhap
Two Korean nationals detained by Israeli forces after joining a Gaza-bound aid flotilla returned home Friday vowing to sail to the territory again, despite a government-imposed passport ban, setting the stage for a deepening legal and diplomatic confrontation that has polarized public opinion.
Supporters argue that humanitarian aid work is a fundamental right and the passport cancellation was unjust, while critics claim the activists' actions place an undue burden on the state.
Kim Ah-hyun, widely known by her activist name Haecho, and Kim Dong-hyeon arrived at Incheon International Airport at 6:24 a.m., after being freed from Israeli custody on Wednesday. The two, who were aboard different ships participating in the flotilla, were detained by Israeli forces in international waters on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
Their return reignited debate over the limits of individual conscience and state responsibility. Supporters argue that humanitarian aid work is a fundamental right and that the passport cancellation was unjust. Meanwhile, critics questioned the activists' judgement, saying that they had ignored official warnings and that the cost of their return came at the public's expense.
"My first thought was that this was an unnecessary provocation," said Park, an office worker in her 30s. "Was that really the only way to draw attention to the situation in Gaza? Their courage and bold action are admirable, but they went anyway despite being told not to."
She welcomed their safe return but urged the activists to consider the broader consequences of their actions.
"I respect freedom and individuality as long as they don't harm others, but I hope they understand that their actions could put others in danger too. It is altruistic and selfish at the same time," she said. "I'm also curious how the people in Gaza themselves are receiving the news of Korean activists making the voyage, getting captured and then released."
Some questioned why the activists chose to pursue human rights work abroad when domestic causes remain unaddressed.
"If you want to do human rights work, why not do it here in Korea? There is plenty of human rights work to be done right here," a man in his mid-40s surnamed Park said. "Why break the law and go? Sometimes, you just have to listen when the government tells you not to do something."
He added that he found it difficult to understand how the activists managed to leave the country after the foreign ministry had moved to block them from doing so and described the cost of bringing them home as an unnecessary drain on taxpayers.
A screen capture from a video uploaded by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on X (formerly Twitter) shows activists, who were on board a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs. Captured from Itamar Ben-Gvir's X account
However, supporters of the activists condemned both the Israeli detention and what they described as the Korean government's "empty rhetoric."
“Korean activists were freed after President Lee Jae Myung mentioned the issue, but the government suppressed the activist by canceling her passport and, therefore, put her in danger with her stateless status. It is the government’s duty to pursue diplomatic efforts,” Korea Flotilla for a Free Palestine, the group Kim is involved with, said in a statement Friday.
Other civic groups also voiced their support.
“Israel’s attack on a civilian vessel in international waters and its abduction of unarmed peace activists is an apparent violation of international law. The forcible seizure of a foreign-flagged vessel in international waters by Israeli forces violates the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The threatening, abduction and detention of unarmed civilians are against international human rights law,” the Korean Church Human Rights Center said in a statement Friday.
Italian activists from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, detained by Israeli forces after their vessels were intercepted in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea, raise their fists upon their arrival at Fiumicino Airport, in Fiumicino, Italy, Thursday. Reuters-Yonhap
Activist vows to sail again
Speaking to reporters at the airport, Kim Ah-hyun said she was mistreated during her detention. “I was illegally abducted and imprisoned by Israel. The Israeli forces were furious. When I arrived at the prison, many people had already been beaten,” she said. “I can’t hear well out of one ear because I was beaten so badly.”
It was her second detention by Israeli forces. She was previously held in October 2025 for similar activity and released after two days.
She pledged to return regardless of the legal consequences, stressing that people in Gaza are dying from unrelenting bombardment and starvation.
“I always have plans to visit the strip … until Gaza is freed, and I will be visiting isolated lands in Palestine and other countries,” she said. “I have the right to do whatever I want despite the government’s legal actions against my passport.”
Korean President Lee Jae Myung openly criticized Israel on Wednesday for capturing the activists in international waters, while asking his aides to consider complying with an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Her vow to return puts her on a collision course with the government. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already invalidated her passport under the Passport Act, effectively barring her from international travel.
An Israeli naval vessel arrives at the Port of Ashdod, Wednesday, after Israeli naval forces intercepted a Gaza-bound flotilla, according to an Israeli rights group and the Global Sumud Flotilla organizers, who said the activists aboard were being detained at an Israeli port. Reuters-Yonhap
The two sides are currently locked in a legal dispute over whether the revocation was lawful. The Gaza Strip is designated as a travel ban zone under Korean law, prohibiting nationals from visiting without special government permission. Violators face up to one year in prison or fines of up to 10 million won, and the government may also invalidate the passport of anyone who defies the order.
The government warned Kim through multiple channels that proceeding with her plan could result in administrative sanctions under the Passport Act, as well as potential criminal penalties.
“The Korean government views the testimony of our citizen regarding the alleged physical assaults by the Israeli military with the utmost gravity. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has conveyed this grave position to the Israeli side. Following a thorough verification of the facts, the ministry will take appropriate measures corresponding to the severity of the incident,” the foreign ministry said in a statement Friday.
A government official said earlier that Seoul had shared the potential trips by Korean nationals with relevant local authorities, including Israel, asking them to guarantee the Korean nationals' safety. The Israeli government on Thursday deported hundreds of flotilla activists who had attempted to pass Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.
Korea Times reporter Park Ung contributed to this article.