Kim Ah-hyeon (27, activist name Haecho), a South Korean national heading for the Gaza Strip, and Lee Seung-jun (26), a U.S. national, were detained by the Israeli military on the high seas of the Mediterranean, 220㎞ from the Gaza Strip, on the 19th local time (the 20th Korea time). Kim Dong-hyun (34), who set out on the voyage with them, was seized a day earlier on the 18th (local time) on the Mediterranean, 463㎞ short of the Gaza Strip. Even though they knew the risk of seizure was high, they embarked on the voyage, saying just before their arrest that they “hoped it would help make the violent reality inside the Gaza Strip known.”

Kyunghyang Shinmun conducted a video interview on the 12th (local time) when Haecho and others were staying on an island near the Turkiye border. Anticipating the possibility of seizure during the voyage, the interview was conducted in advance. Haecho and Lee were captured by the Israeli military on the 19th, a week after the interview, and Kim was taken the day before, on the 18th.

They said they set sail to raise objections to massacres being carried out by Israel inside the Gaza Strip. “Because the situation in the Gaza Strip has not improved, we did not doubt the need for the voyage,” they said together. While their goal was to reach the Gaza Strip, they were also well aware that it would be difficult to get there. Kim said, “Even if we cannot reach Gaza and are seized, the very fact that the voyage makes people think about and talk about Gaza is important.”

Lee said, “Many people criticize our actions as illegal, but I hope they will empathize by considering that Korea and Palestine share similar histories.” He added, “Aligning thinking with a colonizing state (Israel) can only lead to violence.”

They explained that although it is “hard to gauge what will happen after being seized,” the seizure itself has meaning. Kim said, “We have heard that Israel confined passengers from earlier boats bound for the Gaza Strip not in prisons but in places like warships, or detained them for only a day, considering the costs,” and added, “They are devising their own strategies to respond to the sailing campaign, making it difficult to predict.” He said, “The fact that the Israeli military is pushing back more fiercely than against last year’s voyage means the voyage has been successful.”

Haecho was the only South Korean last year to head for the Gaza Strip aboard the ‘Ala al-Nazzar,’ and was already detained once. He emphasized that having more Asians participate in this voyage was important in terms of “solidarity.” He said, “Many countries in Asia have histories of colonization, so they can stand in deeper solidarity with Palestine,” and added, “If war later breaks out in Asia, such solidarity will be a great strength.”

They said, “This voyage was a series of difficulties from the start.” The three had originally planned to depart together, but as sailing schedules fell through, they began separately from different locations. Haecho and Lee set out from Syracuse, Italy, on the 2nd, and Kim departed from Ierapetra, Greece, on the 8th and joined them.

They also said they “were under constant surveillance by the Israeli military and spent the entire voyage worried about when and what kind of attack they might face.” Reports that the Israeli military had seized earlier boats and detained and tortured their passengers heightened the tension. Haecho’s passport was even invalidated in March on the grounds that “the Gaza Strip is an area where unapproved visits and stays are prohibited” (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

According to the Korean Headquarters of the Voyage for Palestinian Liberation (KFFP), 428 passengers from some 40 countries were abducted on the high seas during this voyage. President Lee Jae Myung said at a Cabinet meeting that day, “Can Israel, because it has invaded another country and is in combat, just arbitrarily seize third-country-flagged vessels as it pleases?” calling it “deeply inhumane.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the previous day, “We have asked the Israeli authorities to prioritize the safety of our nationals and to take the necessary measures,” and added, “We will continue to actively provide the necessary consular assistance.”