Foreign Ministry: "Passport Invalidation Lawsuit Underway... Activist Returning from Gaza to Arrive on 22nd"

Israeli Military Deports Two Korean Activists Without Detention

Legal disputes are expected to continue regarding the invalidation of the passport of a Korean activist who was detained and later released by the Israeli military. Despite the government’s dissuasion, these individuals boarded a ship bound for the Gaza Strip, which was subsequently seized by the Israeli military enforcing a blockade in the waters near Gaza. After diplomatic negotiations, the activists were released and are scheduled to return to Korea via Incheon International Airport on the morning of the 22nd.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs building. Photo by Yonhap News

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told reporters on the 21st, "Litigation procedures regarding the passport invalidation measure are currently underway."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs invalidated the passport of Kim Ahyeon (activist name: Haecho), a Palestinian relief activist, in April after recognizing her plan to travel to the Gaza Strip. In response, Kim’s side filed a lawsuit. The request for a stay of execution of the order to return the passport, submitted by Kim’s side, was dismissed, and the main lawsuit is currently in progress.

The entire Palestinian Gaza Strip is currently designated by the Korean government as a 'Travel Ban (Travel Advisory Level 4)' area. Visiting or staying in a Level 4 travel advisory region can result in penalties under the Passport Act and related laws.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains its position that it will uphold the current principle of invalidating passports for travel-ban regions, given the possibility of similar cases occurring in the future. However, it stated that, in light of this case, it may consider whether there is a need to improve the system. A foreign ministry official said, "The principle of protecting the safety and lives of our citizens remains unchanged," and added, "We will review whether there are any institutional aspects that can be improved."

Another official stated, "The activists have filed the lawsuit through their respective organizations," and added, "The legal judgment on the current law will be made in the course of the litigation, and if the result indicates a problem with the current legal system, we will consider the need for its revision accordingly."

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two Korean activists, including Kim, who were detained and released by the Israeli military, are scheduled to arrive in Korea on the morning of the 22nd via Thailand, a third country. During the repatriation process, the ministry issued a travel certificate to Kim, whose passport had been invalidated, to facilitate her return.

Previously, the relief ship 'Rina Al-Nabulsi' of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which Kim boarded, was seized by the Israeli military in the early morning of the 20th. Another activist, Kim Donghyun, boarded a different relief ship on the 19th and was also detained. Kim Ahyeon was also detained by the Israeli military and released once before, in October last year.

Park Il, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at the Government Complex Seoul that, "The government, at all levels, repeatedly requested the Israeli authorities to give utmost consideration to the safety of our nationals and ensure their immediate release and deportation without detention, both before and after the seizure of the vessel carrying our citizens." He added, "Taking this into account, Israel specially deported the two Korean nationals without placing them in detention facilities."

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