[Breaking] Blue House: "Strong Regret Over Israel's Detention of Our Citizens... Immediate Release Welcomed"

The Office of the President stated on May 21, "The Lee Jaemyung administration expresses strong regret over Israel's act of detaining our citizens by seizing a humanitarian aid ship bound for the Gaza Strip." The statement continued, "However, we highly appreciate and welcome the immediate release of our citizens by the Israeli authorities."

Kang Yujeong, Chief Presidential Spokesperson, made this announcement during a briefing at Chunchugwan on the same day, confirming that two Korean nationals who had been detained by Israeli forces while aboard the Gaza aid ship had been released.

Yonhap News

Spokesperson Kang explained, "The government provided all necessary consular assistance and took thorough diplomatic measures, as a result of which the Israeli authorities deported the two Korean nationals immediately without placing them in detention facilities."

Kang also conveyed that "the Israeli side expressed hope that this incident would not affect Korea-Israel relations and that our bilateral ties would continue to develop further."

Kang emphasized, "The Lee Jaemyung administration will respond in a principled and responsible manner to protect the safety of our citizens, including on international human rights issues," adding, "To this end, we will continue to maintain close diplomatic communication with the countries concerned."

She concluded, "The Lee Jaemyung administration will place the utmost priority on the lives and safety of our people and will fulfill its responsibilities as a government dedicated to protecting its citizens."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.