[Herald Economy=Lee Young-gi] “Soldiers aimed their guns and laser sights tracked my head and chest.”
South Korean activists who were captured by Israeli forces while en route to the Gaza Strip have gone public with detailed allegations of abuse. They say they were beaten until their noses bled, and several activists now suffer rhabdomyolysis, a serious condition in which muscle tissue breaks down.
One activist said a rib was fractured. They also allege that large groups were forced into cramped spaces where people had to sleep in shifts, and that sexual assault and other mistreatment occurred.
The Korea chapter of the Flotilla for the Liberation of Palestine (KFFP) held a press conference on the 28th at Green Hospital in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, titled “Testimonies and Condemnation of Israeli Forces’ Abuses Against Peace Flotilla Activists.” The activists say Israeli forces intercepted, detained, and later released them on the 18th and 20th of this month while they were headed to Gaza; they have since returned to South Korea.
Kim Ah-hyun (27), who uses the activist name “Haecho,” told the press, “They slapped me three times; I developed tinnitus and my nose bled. About 100 activists were confined in a container so cramped we couldn’t lie down. We couldn’t sleep.”
She added, “Screams echoed inside the container. It was unbearably hot in a space where no one could lie down. Many women were subjected to sexual harassment and assault.”
Kim Dong-hyun (34), who described his capture with visibly trembling hands, said the beatings left him with rhabdomyolysis. “A rubber boat caught up with our vessel and armed soldiers pointed guns at us,” he said. “About 200 people were taken to a so-called ‘prison ship’ and held across six containers.”
He said only five of the containers were usable for sleeping, and space was so limited that people slept squatting on their knees and took turns on shifts. “It was freezing on deck, and we received no cold-weather gear. We covered ourselves with the packaging from rationed bread to stay warm,” he said.
Korean-American participant Lee Seung-jun (26) said, “Soldiers trampled me with their boots and beat me with rifle butts, fracturing my right rib. In the dark detention containers, Israeli soldiers forced detainees to watch other activists being beaten.”
He added that guards threw flashbangs into the detention area when detainees requested water or food. “They lined us up as if preparing for an execution and then fired non-lethal rounds; one colleague suffered serious injuries,” he said.
Kim Ah-hyun concluded, “Returning to Korea brought relief, but it also highlighted how cruelly we were treated. We have faced a torrent of ridicule and criticism over the voyage.”
KFFP activist Kim Ji-hye said, “From May 18 to 22, Israeli forces illegally intercepted, detained, and deported activists sailing toward the Gaza Strip on the high seas of the Mediterranean. During that operation, flotilla members suffered multiple brutal abuses and serious human-rights violations.”
She added that after the activists returned home, South Korea’s foreign ministry summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires in Seoul, but the Israeli Embassy issued a statement that flatly denied the abuse allegations instead of conducting a thorough investigation or offering an apology.
On the 23rd, the South Korean government summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires to raise the matter. The government has called for a full investigation into whether Korean citizens were harmed and said appropriate measures, including holding responsible parties to account, should follow if Israel’s inhumane treatment is confirmed.
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