South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says Israel detained South Korean nationals in international waters, calling the action “way out of line.”
Lee is apparently referring to nationals who were participating in the flotilla to Gaza — the Foreign Ministry announced yesterday that the latest activist flotilla aiming to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza had “come to an end,” with more than 400 activists taken to Israel.
In a cabinet meeting, Lee says the South Korean citizens had been detained for reasons not valid under international law, questioning whether such actions could be allowed to pass without protest.
The flotilla was led by Turkish aid organization IHH, which is designated in Israel as a terror organization and which organized the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla to Gaza.
Lee also says he believes many European countries are willing to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under International Criminal Court warrants, but that Seoul must make its own judgment on the matter.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
