▲ A civic group holds a press conference in front of the Israeli Embassy in Seoul on May 19, 2026, to demand the immediate release of a South Korean activist allegedly held by Israeli forces. (Yonhap)
▲ This file photo shows activist Kim Ah-hyun. (Yonhap)

(3rd LD) S Korean activist-Middle East

(3rd LD) Israeli forces seize humanitarian aid flotilla carrying S. Korean activist: civic group

(ATTN: ADDS comments from Israeli Embassy at bottom)

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- Israeli forces have seized a humanitarian aid flotilla carrying a South Korean activist headed for the Gaza Strip, a civic group said Tuesday.

According to the group advocating for Palestinian liberation, the Kyriakos X boat carrying activist Kim Dong-hyeon was intercepted late Monday (Seoul time) by the Israeli Navy near Cyprus.

Kim is now presumably detained aboard an Israeli warship along with other activists from around the world, the group said.

Kim departed for Gaza earlier this month despite a government travel ban on the territory.

"Shortly after becoming aware of the incident, we requested through the South Korean Embassy in Israel that the Israeli authorities take necessary measures by prioritizing the safety of our national," foreign ministry spokesperson Park Il said at a press briefing.

"The foreign ministry will continue to actively provide necessary consular assistance to our nationals," he added.

Before him, another activist, Kim Ah-hyun, headed for Gaza despite the government's revocation of her passport over an earlier attempt in October to enter the territory without authorization.

At the time, she was detained by Israeli forces and later released.

The civic group said the boat she is traveling on is near the Kyriakos X and at risk of also being seized.

South Koreans are barred from traveling to or staying in the Gaza Strip without government approval, and violators can face up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won (US$6,685) under the Passport Act.

The civic group later held a press conference in front of the Israeli Embassy in Seoul to demand the immediate release of the detained activist.

The group also urged the South Korean government to make utmost efforts for his swift release, saying their campaign was a response to the international community's silence on Israel's "genocide" over more than two years.

The Israeli Embassy in Seoul claimed that the flotilla was merely a "political stunt and a provocation disguised as humanitarianism."

"Although they set sail claiming they would 'help the residents,' there is not a single piece of aid material loaded on the ship. It is nothing more than a political stunt and a provocation disguised as humanitarianism," the embassy said on social media platform X.

It added Israel is working with the United Nations and international organizations through official channels to provide approximately 600 aid trucks to the Gaza Strip every day.

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