Activists Kim Ah-hyun, left, and Kim Dong-hyeon, who had been detained by the Israeli government, speak to reporters upon their arrival in Korea at the Incheon International Airport on May 22. [NEWS1]
Two Korean activists who had been aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla and seized by Israeli forces returned to Korea through Incheon International Airport on Friday morning.
Kim Ah-hyun and Kim Dong-hyeon arrived at the airport at around 6:24 a.m. on a flight from Bangkok, Thailand. Dressed in black T-shirts, jeans and sneakers, the two appeared tired but greeted the crowd with warm smiles. They were also wearing scarves prepared by the civic group Korean Flotilla for a Free Palestine (KFFP), which has supported their activism, and embraced fellow activists who had come to welcome them home.
Kim Ah-hyun's vessel was intercepted by Israeli forces on Tuesday in waters near Gaza, while Kim Dong-hyeon's ship was seized on Monday near Cyprus. They were part of the flotilla aimed to break Israel's blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid.
"Many people are dying not only from airstrikes but from starvation," she told reporters at the airport, explaining why she went to Gaza. "Because there are people there, I felt we had to try sailing again, no matter how dangerous the situation is in the Middle East."
"What Israel did to us — seizing unarmed vessels on international waters, torturing civilians, and imprisoning them — was an unbearable level of violence," Kim Dong-hyeon said. "Israel calls it a lawful measure, but that is simply not true."
Activist Kim Ah-hyun arrives at the Incheon International Airport on May 22, after being detained by the Israeli government [NEWS1]
The two were among approximately 430 activists from more than 40 countries who had set sail earlier this month from Greece, Italy and other ports aboard around 50 vessels. The operation drew widespread attention after photos emerged of activists being held on their knees with their hands bound.
"The Israeli soldiers were highly agitated, and by the time we were put in a cell, many people had already been beaten," Kim Ah-hyun said. "I was also struck in the face several times, and my left ear is not hearing well as a result."
She and Kim Dong-hyeon were released on Wednesday.
Kim Ah-hyun had previously joined a similar voyage in October last year, when she was arrested by Israeli forces and released two days later. Following that incident, Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs ordered her to surrender her passport. However, she had already left the country in preparation for this second voyage before the order took effect. Regardless, her passport was rendered invalid. Her return this time was made possible through a travel document issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The activist pushed back on the issue. "People have the right to live where they want to live and move to where they want to go," Kim Ah-hyun said. "Even if the government tries to stop me through legal means like a passport, I have the right to do what I believe in."
She also made clear she has no intention of stopping. "I always have plans to go to Gaza," she said.
Korean activists Kim Dong-hyun and Kim Ah-hyun, alongside Korean-American activist Jonathan Victor Lee, pose for a photograph prior to their departure on a humanitarian aid vessel bound for the Gaza Strip in this undated photo. The three activists, representing the South Korean chapter of the Korean Flotilla for a Free Palestine, were later detained by Israeli forces after their vessel was intercepted. [KOREAN FLOTILLA FOR A FREE PALESTINE]
Korean American activist Jonathan Victor Lee, who was aboard the same ship as Kim Ah-hyun and was also released, is currently staying in Istanbul, Turkey.
KFFP is set to hold a rally condemning Israel near the Israeli Embassy in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Friday.
at the Incheon International Airport on May 22. [YONHAP]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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