hán guó韩国zǒng tǒng总统lǐ zài míng李在明pī píng批评yǐ sè liè以色列，wéi hù维护běn guó本国gōng mín公民ān quán安全
On May 20, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung strongly criticized Israel at an important meeting.
He said in a firm tone that Israel had illegally seized South Korean citizens on the high seas, and that this was extremely outrageous.
The incident took place in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea.
On May 18 and May 20, two aid ships carrying South Korean civil activists were forcibly intercepted by the Israeli navy while on their way to Gaza with humanitarian supplies.
Two South Korean citizens on board were also taken away and detained by Israeli forces.
Lee Jae-myung was very angry about this.
At the meeting, he repeatedly asked: Is Gaza Israeli territory?
On what grounds can citizens of a third country be detained in international waters?
He stressed that the International Criminal Court had already issued an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister, and if he came to South Korea, South Korea would arrest him according to the law as well.
In diplomacy, South Korea has rarely made such strong statements on Middle East issues in the past.
But this time, because its citizens were seized in international waters, it completely crossed South Korea's red line.
Lee Jae-myung's remarks won support from many people in South Korea, and many other countries also condemned Israel's disregard for international law.
Lee Jae-myung said that South Korea must protect the safety of its citizens.
This incident also showed more people that, regardless of a country's size, it should follow international rules and respect the sovereignty and dignity of other countries.