▲ Activists Kim Ah-hyun (L) and Kim Dong-hyeon speak to reporters at Incheon International Airport, just west of Seoul, on May 22, 2026, following their release after being captured by Israeli forces aboard Gaza-bound aid flotillas. (Yonhap)

foreign ministry-Israel

Foreign ministry calls on Israel to investigate assault claims by activists

SEOUL, May 25 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministry said Monday it has pressed Israel to conduct a thorough investigation into claims by two South Korean activists that they were assaulted by Israeli forces after being detained aboard aid vessels bound for the Gaza Strip.

The ministry said it called in deputy Israeli ambassador to South Korea to its office Saturday and conveyed its concerns over those allegations.

The two activists, Kim Ah-hyun and Kim Dong-hyeon, returned home Friday following their release. Upon arrival, they both said they had been assaulted by Israeli forces, with Kim Ah-hyun claiming that she had lost some hearing in her left ear because she had been struck on that side of the face several times.

The ministry said it demanded a thorough investigation into the matter and stressed that appropriate measures must be taken if inhumane acts by Israeli forces are found to be true.

"The government expressed strong concerns over Israel's detention of two South Korean nationals," a ministry official said. "We take seriously the testimonies by our nationals that there had been physical assaults by Israeli forces during their seizure of the vessels and detention of our people. We will respond to this situation with principle and responsibility and continue our diplomatic communication with relevant countries."

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