Seoul: A South Korean activist detained in Israel while approaching the Gaza Strip was released after agreeing to voluntary deportation, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. The activist, identified as Kim Ah-hyun, was among scores of people aboard one of 11 ships bound for Gaza that were intercepted by Israeli forces on Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim is scheduled to board a flight bound for Istanbul, Turkey, early Friday (local time) under what the ministry described as a form of "voluntary deportation," before returning home. A consul from the Korean Embassy in Israel confirmed Kim's boarding and departure at an Israeli airport, and the Korean consulate in Istanbul will continue to provide necessary consular assistance.
Kim arrived in Istanbul on a special flight arranged with the cooperation of the Turkish government, along with other deportees, as stated by the Korea Civil Society in Solidarity with Palestine, Gangjeong Friends, and other officials. It remains unclear when she will arrive in South Korea. Officials mentioned that if a direct flight from Istanbul is unavailable, Kim may stay in Istanbul for several more days or return home via a connecting flight through a third country.
Earlier in the day, the civic group informed Yonhap News Agency that Kim was transferred to Ketziot Prison in a desert in southern Israel. The group criticized Israel for treating the flotilla participants as "terrorists." In an Instagram post on Friday, Gangjeong Friends expressed that most activists on the Gaza aid flotilla had been sent to "Ketziot Prison, which is notorious for its harsh and abusive conditions." The group also claimed that some of them had reported "physical abuse and inhumane treatment during and after the interception."
President Lee Jae Myung ordered maximum diplomatic efforts to ensure the safe and swift release and return of the South Korean national after being briefed on the issue late Wednesday. Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina met with Barak Shine, deputy chief of the Israeli mission in South Korea, on Thursday afternoon and requested cooperation on the matter. Shine vowed to work for the safe and swift release of the South Korean national in accordance with due procedures.