Two South Korean activists, Kim Ah-hyun and Kim Dong-hyeon, arrived at Incheon International Airport on Friday after being seized separately by Israeli forces aboard aid vessels headed for the Gaza Strip and released on Wednesday. The activists alleged they were subjected to physical violence during their detention, while South Korean President Lee Jae Myung publicly criticised Israel for intercepting the ships outside its territorial waters — a rare rebuke of a foreign government. Israel defended the operation as a legal naval blockade, asserting the vessels carried no humanitarian aid and were instead a deliberate provocation, though the incident has prompted both governments to express hope that bilateral ties will not be damaged.