President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea speaks at a Cabinet meeting at the Blue House on May 20, 2026. (pool photo)
President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal” while blasting the Israeli military’s arrest and detention of two Korean nationals in international waters. The highly unusual act of calling a foreign head of state a war criminal has fueled fears of diplomatic repercussions.“The core issue is whether [where the Koreans were arrested] was Israeli territory. Is it justified to seize another country’s vessel on a volunteer mission and arrest and detain those on board?”The president appeared agitated as he asked his advisers whether the waters where activists were arrested belonged to Israel. “Law or no law, isn’t there something called basic common sense?” he added, implying that Israel’s arrest and detention of Koreans without any basis in international law was difficult to justify, even given its war with Iran.The Israeli military seized vessels carrying activists Kim Dong-hyeon, 34, and Haecho (real name Kim A-hyun), 28, and arrested both. On multiple occasions, Lee has said that he would not stand idly by if Korean nationals were touched or harmed amid hostilities in the Middle East. “He spoke sternly about this because our citizens were harmed by Israel,” a Blue House source said. “He was saying what must be said diplomatically.”At the Cabinet meeting, Lee peppered his director of national security and second vice minister of foreign affairs with questions about the incident, asking why Korea hadn’t lodged a protest with Israel and questioning why his advisers weren’t able to give clear answers about the area or circumstances of the vessels’ seizure. Both officials appeared to be at a loss, making Lee visibly agitated. “Just say what you know. You’re not the Israeli government or anything,” the president said. In response, his national security director said that while the location of the seizure did not fall under Israeli territory, Israel is “exercising military control over that region and taking military action against it,” noting that Israel’s stance is that it’s “in a state of war.”Lee then called Netanyahu a war criminal. “It’s out of line and inhumane,” he said. “In any event, hasn’t the International Criminal Court designated him a war criminal and issued an arrest warrant for him?” “Most European countries have issued such warrants for Netanyahu and would arrest him if he entered their territories, haven’t they? We should also make a decision on that,” he said. More than 10 countries, including the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Switzerland, say they will enforce their ICC-issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu.Yet Lee’s description of Netanyahu as a war criminal could spark diplomatic controversy. Last month, the president criticized the Israel Defense Forces on X, prompting a strong protest from Tel Aviv. His direct callout of the Israeli leader this time could trigger an even stronger response.Reactions to the president’s comments were mixed. The civic group People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy said the government’s consideration of measures to arrest Netanyahu “must lead to concrete action.”The minor progressive Justice Party said it “fully welcome[d] the president’s statement condemning Israel’s inhumane act of seizure.”But Rep. Song Eon-seog, the floor leader of the main opposition People Power Party, criticized the president’s rhetoric. “This is an extremely reckless move that could unnecessarily draw Korea into international disputes and put Korean residents and businesses in the region at greater risk,” Song said. Speaking to the Hankyoreh, Yu Dal-seung, a professor of Iranian studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, suggested that the escalation in the tenor of the president’s rhetoric “appears to reflect Israel’s increasingly tarnished international image.”The Blue House clarified the president’s remarks in a statement later that evening. “President Lee Jae Myung made his comments in the process of asking about the legality of the seizure of a vessel carrying our citizens and their arrests. His intent was to stress the importance of considering humanitarianism and international humanitarian law, as well as ensuring the safety and protection of our citizens,” the Blue House said. “Likewise, the matter concerning the ICC involved asking about a contentious issue openly discussed by the international community and mentioned the need to understand the situation,” it added.By Seo Young-ji, staff reporter; Kim Ji-hoon, staff reporterPlease direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
