Haecho and Jonathan Seungjoon Lee aboard the ship Lina Al-Nabulsi, headed to Gaza on May 3, 2026. (courtesy Lee)
Last October, an activist going by the name Haecho took part in a flotilla that attempted to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza to deliver aid to Palestinians, only to end up arrested by Israeli forces. “I felt my first voyage with the Gaza relief flotilla movement last year was meaningful and effective at pressuring Israel. I was hoping more Koreans would join me,” she said in a video interview with the Hankyoreh on Sunday from aboard yet another ship bound for Gaza. Last September and October, Haecho, whose real name is Kim A-hyun, became the first Korean activist to join a relief flotilla sent to help Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. This time, she’s joined by a Korean American activist named Jonathan Seungjoon Lee, aged 26.More Korean activists are expected to join her.
Haecho aboard the ship Lina Al-Nabulsi, headed to Gaza on May 3, 2026. (courtesy Lee)
While this is Seungjoon’s first time sailing with a flotilla, he has been aiding the movement in Gangjeong, Jeju, for the past five years.Haecho and Seungjoon boarded the ship Lina Al-Nabulsi in the Italian city of Syracuse on May 2. The ship, which was purchased with funds raised by Korean citizens, is named for a 17-year-old Palestinian girl who was shot by Israeli soldiers in 1976.In addition to Haecho and Seungjoon, there are currently two Belgians, two Italians and two French on the ship. The current flotilla is composed of four ships crewed by 30 individuals from 12 countries.For many Koreans, the Palestinian issue still feels disconnected from their everyday life.“There’s a fundamental link between Korea and Gaza. The naval base on Jeju Island, the conflict with North Korea and Israel’s settler colonialism — it all comes back to American imperialism,” Seungjoon said.“Korea has a history of colonial oppression just like Palestine. At the same time, Korea is complicit in the Palestinian genocide because it maintains friendly relations with Israel and because the Korea National Oil Corporation is helping exploit resources off the coast of Palestine,” said Haecho.“Being part of the peace movement means following through on what you believe in without getting distracted by results or finicky over rules and laws,” Haecho said.However, Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s critical remarks last month about Israel’s atrocities have put the Palestinian liberation movement back in the spotlight.“I see that as a good first step in getting Koreans interested in the Palestinian issue,” Haecho said.“Words don’t mean anything if they aren’t followed up with action,” said Seungjoon. “The government needs to cut ties with Israel and sanction it. Government agencies like the Korea National Oil Corporation need to cancel their contracts with the Israeli government and Israeli businesses as well.”
