South Korea regrets Israel's "misunderstanding" of President Lee's Middle East remarks

South Korea’s foreign ministry said on April 11 it regrets what it described as a “misunderstanding” by Israel of remarks made by President Lee Jae Myung on the situation in the Middle East, after a diplomatic dispute over social media posts escalated between Seoul and Jerusalem.

In a post on its official X page, the ministry said Lee’s comments should be understood as “an expression of his convictions regarding universal human rights rather than an opinion on any specific issue.”

The dispute began on Friday when Lee shared a video that he said showed members of the Israel Defence Forces mistreating a Palestinian boy. He later drew parallels between forced sexual servitude imposed on Korean women under Japanese colonial rule, the Holocaust, and wartime killings.

In a follow-up post, Lee clarified that the video was dated September 2024 and urged respect for international humanitarian law, writing: "Human rights are the last safeguard and a value that must never be traded away."

Israel’s foreign ministry issued a strong protest, calling the original post “unacceptable” and deserving of “strong condemnation.” It also said the video came from an account “notorious for spreading anti-Israeli disinformation and falsehoods about Israel.”

Lee responded that it was “disappointing” Israel had not reflected on what he described as global concerns over human rights and international humanitarian law.

South Korea’s foreign ministry reiterated that Seoul “remains steadfast in its opposition to all forms of violence and anti-humanitarian acts, including the acts of terrorism pointed out by Israel” while stressing that it has “consistently maintained the position that international humanitarian law and human rights must be upheld without exception.”

The ministry also expressed sympathy for Jewish suffering, saying South Korea continues to “empathise deeply with the unspeakable suffering endured by Israel due to the Holocaust” and extended “profound condolences to the victims.”