Korean activist attempting to enter Gaza again, Seoul orders passport surrender

A South Korean activist who had previously been detained in an Israeli prison for boarding a Gaza-bound aid ship has sparked controversy as she again attempts to visit the Palestinian enclave, news reports said Thursday.

On March 25, the Foreign Ministry ordered 27-year-old Kim Ah-hyun to surrender her passport, warning it would be invalidated if not returned within seven days, as she continued to push ahead with plans to visit the Gaza Strip. The written notice was delivered to her residence two days later.

However, Kim reportedly left for a third country in mid-March, before the Foreign Ministry’s action, according to Lawyers for a Democratic Society, a progressive civic group locally known as Minbyun, acting on her behalf.

As of March 20, South Korea has imposed a travel ban on areas within 4 kilometers of the Israel-Lebanon border in northern Israel as well as the Gaza Strip, while issuing an advisory for Israel. The ministry's action came after repeated efforts to reach her via phone and other means failed, local reports said.

In October last year, Kim was detained for two days by Israel, along with other activists, while approaching the Gaza Strip with relief supplies on a flotilla. From the seized vessel, she shared a video pleading for help on social media, which prompted South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to order that all possible measures be taken to secure her swift release. She was released and deported by Israel and returned home. (see previous report)

The Foreign Ministry said the order was issued under Article 12 of the Passport Act, which allows authorities to refuse passport issuance if there are concerns a person may seriously undermine South Korea’s national security, public order or foreign policy abroad.

Minbyun filed an administrative lawsuit Wednesday seeking to nullify the passport surrender order, along with an injunction to suspend its enforcement. It said that the provision cannot be applied to Kim, arguing she was engaged in civil society activities for humanitarian purposes.