On May 2, 2026, four Freedom Flotilla Coalition boats with 30 participants from 12 countries departed from Sicily, including 2 members of the Gangjeong peace movement, Haecho (Kim Ah-hyun) and Jonathan Seungjoon Lee (pictured above).
While these Korean flotilla activists bring our attention to Palestine, let us help to share their voices!
Please sign this petition to “Demand The South Korean Government Restore Peace Activist Kim Ahyun’s Passport”
(Please follow through with your signature by clicking “continue” or “next” and also confirm your signature by email, but ignore any request for donations or other suggested petitions from the site!)
May 5 update from the Korean Flotilla Movement for a Free Palestine:
Early this morning, Israeli occupation forces threatened to hijack the FFC vessel carrying Haecho and Seungjoon off the coast of Greece.
Between 1:27 a.m. and 5:15 a.m., U.S. C-130 aircraft and drones flew over the FFC vessel, and there was an urgent situation involving unidentified boats and white lights approaching the ship.
Fortunately, as of 5:20 a.m., all threats had disappeared, and the voyage continues.
This appalling act constitutes military surveillance and intimidation against civilian humanitarian aid ships. The world cannot stand idly by while civilian vessels are pursued by helicopters and drones in national territorial waters and on the high seas—a blatant violation of international law.
✊ With no delay:
The Greek government must protect these ships from illegal military intervention by foreign forces!
The international community must guarantee the safety of all participants in the flotilla!
The South Korean government must do its utmost to ensure the personal safety of Kim Ah-hyun (Haecho) by guaranteeing the validity of her passport!
The Zionist regime known as Israel and the nations colluding with or participating in its actions must be held to account not only for these war crimes but also for the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.
🌊We appeal to the citizens of the world!
Let us join our voices in calling on our governments to put pressure on Israel to stop its acts of piracy and to guarantee the safe passage of human rights activists and relief supplies!
Learn more in these articles:
“Freedom Flotilla Defies Israeli Piracy and Terror at Sea, Launches New Vessels from Siracusa”
Two Activists Aboard Gaza Aid Flotilla: “We Will Resist Through Our Nonviolent Voyage”
[OhmyNews article by Jin-min Lee in Korean at https://omn.kr/2i12t]
Scheduled to depart from Siracusa, Italy, on the afternoon of the 2nd; expected to arrive in the Gaza Strip in approximately 15 to 20 days
“Those who frame our voyage to the Gaza Strip in terms of success or failure say our journey will fail. But I feel that continuing to set sail is a powerful form of resistance.” – Haecho, a member of the Gaza aid flotilla
“You may want to turn a blind eye to what is happening now. But the moment will come when you realize that the oppression being perpetrated in Palestine will eventually spill over into all of our lives.” – Seungjoon, a member of the Gaza aid flotilla
Korean activist Haecho (28, Kim Ah-hyun) and Korean-American activist Seungjoon (26, Jonathan Seungjoon Lee) have boarded the international aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip in Palestine. Activists from the Korean Flotilla Movement for a Free Palestine made these remarks in a written interview with <OhmyNews> on the 2nd, just before departure. They boarded the aid flotilla operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) in Syracuse, Italy, at 3:54 p.m. local time on the 2nd (10:54 p.m. Korean time) and set sail.
Activist Haecho, who became the first Korean to join a Gaza aid flotilla last year, is embarking on her second voyage this time. She said, “Through my experience on the first voyage, I felt firsthand that the sailing campaign is more meaningful than I had anticipated.” She added, “Since the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip last October, the Middle East has been in a dangerous and unpredictable situation, and the danger in the Gaza Strip remains,” explaining, “It is our duty to cross the boundless sea when we must stand against borders.”
Seungjoon, an activist who grew up in the United States and Argentina, is also active as a visual artist and experimental film director. Having returned to Korea about five years ago, Seungjoon has been living in Gangjeong Village on Jeju Island and participating in marine and sailing activism. He stated, “While living in Jeju, I learned about the activities of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and resolved to set sail for the Gaza Strip someday.” He continued, “Korea and the Gaza Strip are by no means unrelated,” asking, “How can we, with our history of colonial rule, remain silent?”
They stated, “The Gaza Strip remains isolated, and Israel is brutally attacking more neighboring countries,” adding, “The oppression taking place in Palestine is occurring all over the world and represents a future that could also befall us.” They added, “We must recognize that others are not separate from us and sever the ties of fascism and colonialism,” noting that “the very act of continuing to sail toward the Gaza Strip is a powerful form of resistance.”
The following is a summary of the Q&A session with them.
“The situation in the Gaza Strip could happen in South Korea… We must defend our humanity.”
- The Israeli military continues to exert pressure on the aid flotillas heading for the Gaza Strip. Why are you setting sail despite this?
Haecho: “Since this is the largest aid flotilla ever assembled, Israel is applying pressure from various directions, both on land and at sea. However, the fact remains that the Gaza Strip is isolated and that people are still there in that dangerous place. I believe that being physically present and resisting is the most powerful way to challenge the system. When we must stand against borders, crossing the borderless sea is what we must do now.”
Seungjoon: “The oppression of people, from Gaza to Korea, shares the same roots: the ideologies of militarism and imperialism. I also believe that Israel relies heavily on the image it projects to the outside world, rather than its actual military strength. The same applies to the United States, which instigates wars around the world. I do not believe that power is absolute. If we turn a blind eye to the genocide in the Gaza Strip, it is no different from accepting the power they project. We have the choice to uphold our humanity.”
- In what context do you see a connection between your identity as a Korean and the journey to the Gaza Strip? Some view the Gaza issue as unrelated to Korea.
Haecho: “’The liberation of Palestine is the liberation of us all.’ This is a slogan used in the Palestinian liberation movement. I believe we must ask ourselves where we stand and what pride and lessons our history offers us.”
Seungjoon: “Korea and the Gaza Strip are by no means unrelated. We have a history of colonial rule and the pain of war caused by foreign invasion. We cannot ignore the fact that the South Korean government and corporations are profiting while aiding and abetting Israel’s genocide. Given that, how can we remain silent?”
- What message do you hope to convey through this voyage?
Haecho: “The Gaza Strip remains isolated. Israel is brutally attacking more and more of its neighboring countries. While I feel powerless in the face of such a world, I believe that continuing to resist is the way to sever the ties of fascism and colonialism. Those who label our voyage to reach the Gaza Strip as either a success or a failure claim that our journey will fail and is pointless.
But I am contemplating how to fail well. Here, I sense that the end is in sight for Israel’s illegal colonial rule. The fact that our voyage is cracking Israel’s system and cracking the barrier known as the “blockade” becomes evident when Israel violates international law to oppress the sailors. People say our voyage, which is being seized, is being thwarted too quickly, but we clearly feel that continuing to set sail is a powerful act of resistance.”
- What message would you like to convey to those who oppose or question the Gaza aid flotilla voyage?
Haecho: “The word ‘opposition’ is concerning. This voyage is a peaceful journey of nonviolent resistance against fascism and Zionism. We are simply crossing the sea, where no one can claim sovereignty or territorial rights. I hope you will first consider who it is that is blocking such a voyage.”
Seungjoon: “You may want to turn a blind eye or look away from what is happening now. But there will surely come a moment when we realize that the oppression being perpetrated in Palestine will eventually spill over into all of our lives. The same system of oppression is being established and operating not only across Palestine but also in struggle sites around the world.
I know it’s not easy to think of others when just making ends meet is a struggle. But we must remember that ‘others’ are not separate from us.”
- How do you feel as you head to the Gaza Strip? Is there anything you’d like to say to the people of South Korea?
Haecho: “We decided to set sail at a time when many ships have already been seized. We made this decision after much deliberation, remembering the peace activism we learned in Jeju. I believe that resisting a massive system is not about achieving success, but about ‘failing well.’”
Seungjoon: “The South Korean government must sever all ties with Israel, and South Korean citizens must take action against South Korean companies that profit from genocide. I hope they will consider how South Korea will be remembered in the future.”
[Translated with DeepL (free version) and edited by Curry.]