Israel releases South Koreans captured en route to Gaza

By Park Bo-ram

SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- Israel has released two South Korean nationals captured while heading for the Gaza Strip aboard humanitarian aid vessels, the presidential office said Thursday, welcoming their release.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung announced their release at a press briefing a day after the Lina Al Nabulsi, carrying South Korean activist Kim Ah-hyun and Korean American activist Jonathan Victor Lee, was intercepted by the Israeli military in waters near the Gaza Strip.

Two days earlier, Israeli forces seized another aid boat, the Kyriakos X, which was carrying South Korean activist Kim Dong-hyeon, among other activists from around the world.

"The Israeli side immediately deported the two South Korean nationals without placing them in a detention center," Kang said.

The spokesperson still expressed "regret" over Israel's initial capture and detention of the South Koreans.

"The Lee Jae Myung government expresses strong regret over Israel's detention of our nationals during its seizure (of vessels). However, it highly appreciates Israel's immediate release of our nationals and welcomes this (decision)," Kang said.

Their release came after President Lee Jae Myung accused Israel of violating relevant international regulations in a very rare public criticism of a foreign country and its head of state.

In a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the South Korean president repeatedly pointed out that the vessels were not in Israel's territorial waters when they were seized, saying the country had "gone too far" by capturing South Koreans, who apparently had not broken any international rules.

Kang said that since Lee's remarks, the government had done its utmost to provide consular assistance and diplomatic responses, helping secure Israel's release of the Koreans.

The presidential spokesperson said that the government will take principled and responsible measures, along with diplomatic communication with related countries, to ensure the safety of its nationals.

She also voiced hope that the latest incident would not affect relations between South Korea and Israel and that bilateral ties would continue to advance.

The two activists are expected to arrive in South Korea on Friday morning via a third country, according to the foreign ministry.

"We repeatedly urged the Israeli side to prioritize the safety of our nationals and requested its cooperation so that they could be immediately released and deported without detention," foreign ministry spokesperson Park Il said at a press briefing.

"Israel also conveyed its hope that this issue will not affect bilateral relations and that the ties will continue to develop further," Park said. "We will maintain close diplomatic communication with the Israeli side going forward."

Meanwhile, the Israeli Embassy in South Korea on Thursday said the vessels that were captured en route to the Gaza Strip were not of a "humanitarian" nature, as they carried no humanitarian aid.

"This flotilla is not of a humanitarian nature, and we plainly highlight that no type of humanitarian aid was found in the participating ships," the embassy said in a statement. "This is rather a provocation designed to attack Israel and to divert it from its mission of fighting against terrorism."

The embassy also claimed it was implementing a naval blockade in the Gaza Strip in a "legal" manner with a legitimate military purpose, and in line with international law.