President Lee Criticizes Israel for Second Consecutive Day
President Lee Jae-myung on the 11th reiterated his public criticism of the Israeli government for the second consecutive day, re-emphasizing the observance of international humanitarian law and human rights values despite a rebuke from Israel's Foreign Ministry. On the same day, President Lee posted on X (formerly Twitter), sharing an article about the Israeli Foreign Ministry's reaction and writing, "It is disappointing that they do not even once reflect on the criticisms from people around the world suffering from their incessant anti-human rights and anti-international law actions." He added, "It is very unsettling to see the immense suffering and national difficulties suddenly being experienced by our innocent citizens." The previous day, President Lee had shared a video allegedly showing the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) dropping the bodies of Palestinians from under a building, stating that "international humanitarian law must be observed in all circumstances" and criticizing the video as a "violation of international law."
The Israeli Foreign Ministry, through its official X account, stated that President Lee's remarks were unacceptable, claiming it was an "underestimation of the Holocaust ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day." The ministry asserted that the incident occurred during an anti-terrorism operation and that an investigation and measures had already been taken.
On the 11th, the South Korean government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated, "We express regret that the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs misunderstood the intent of the President's post, which expressed a belief in universal human rights rather than an opinion on a specific issue, and refuted it." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized, "We firmly oppose all forms of violence and anti-human rights acts, including the terrorism pointed out by Israel, and international humanitarian law and human rights must be observed without exception." It added, "We always stand in solidarity with Israel's suffering due to the Holocaust and express our deep condolences to the victims of the Holocaust."
The video that sparked the controversy was identified not as a scene of "torture of Palestinian children" but as a scene of Palestinian bodies being dropped in the West Bank in 2024. The situation is escalating into a diplomatic dispute, with the Israeli government challenging historical perception and factual accounts in response to international criticism regarding Israel's military actions and potential violations of international humanitarian law.