![Kang Yu-jeong, senior presidential spokesperson, briefs reporters at the presidential office press center in Seoul on May 21. [Photo=Yonhap]](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2026/05/21/20260521134704225392.jpg)
SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - Two South Koreans detained after Israeli forces seized vessels bound for the Gaza Strip have been released, Cheong Wa Dae said on Thursday.
Their release comes after the Gaza-bound ship Kyriakos X, carrying humanitarian aid, was seized by the Israeli navy in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea near Cyprus last Thursday, and another vessel, Rina al Nabulsi, was seized by Israeli forces in waters near the Gaza Strip two days later, both carrying South Korean nationals.
Welcoming their release, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a press briefing that the government "strongly regretted" Israel's seizure of the vessels and the detention of South Korean nationals, but "highly valued" Israel's decision to release them promptly.
She added that their release followed President Lee Jae Myung raising serious concerns at a Cabinet meeting the previous day over the safety and rights of the detained citizens, prompting Israel to deport them soon afterward.
At the meeting, Lee accused Israel of violating international law, citing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a rare public criticism of a foreign head of state.
Revealing that Israel had expressed hope that bilateral relations would not be affected, Kang said the government would act "with principle and responsibility" to ensure the safety of South Korean nationals and maintain close diplomatic communication with relevant countries.
Their release comes after the Gaza-bound ship Kyriakos X, carrying humanitarian aid, was seized by the Israeli navy in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea near Cyprus last Thursday, and another vessel, Rina al Nabulsi, was seized by Israeli forces in waters near the Gaza Strip two days later, both carrying South Korean nationals.
Welcoming their release, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a press briefing that the government "strongly regretted" Israel's seizure of the vessels and the detention of South Korean nationals, but "highly valued" Israel's decision to release them promptly.
She added that their release followed President Lee Jae Myung raising serious concerns at a Cabinet meeting the previous day over the safety and rights of the detained citizens, prompting Israel to deport them soon afterward.
At the meeting, Lee accused Israel of violating international law, citing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a rare public criticism of a foreign head of state.
Revealing that Israel had expressed hope that bilateral relations would not be affected, Kang said the government would act "with principle and responsibility" to ensure the safety of South Korean nationals and maintain close diplomatic communication with relevant countries.
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