Seoul’s accusations were made by President Lee during an official discussion with cabinet ministers, in which he presented the detention of its citizens on the Gaza flotilla as a blatant violation of international law. Lee emphasized that Israel’s action was carried out in an area where it has no legal authority to detain vessels or people: “The State of Israel detained South Korean citizens in international waters, and this is an action that completely crossed the line. Our citizens who were on the flotilla were arrested and detained for reasons that are not valid or legitimate under international law. Can such actions even pass without us voicing a formal and firm protest?” Immediately after attacking the arrest itself and defining it as an act without legal basis, President Lee moved on to talk about the political and legal implications of the incident on relations with Jerusalem. He openly referred to the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and signaled that the current crisis would influence the Korean decision on the matter: “I believe that many European countries are ready and determined to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under the arrest warrants of the International Criminal Court. At the same time, Seoul must carry out its own considerations, and formulate a completely independent decision and judgment on this sensitive issue.” The significance of the president’s immediate link to the orders of the Hague court is dramatic. South Korea is a signatory to the Rome Statute and is committed in principle to the decisions of the International Court of Justice, but for many months it maintained a moderate line and avoided belligerent statements against Netanyahu. Accusations that Israel is carrying out illegal arrests of flotilla activists at sea flips the diplomatic cards: President Lee is effectively making it clear that if Israel diminishes the rights and freedoms of Korean citizens, Seoul will not hesitate to reconsider its position and even conduct an “independent judgment” regarding Netanyahu’s arrest if he lands on its territory, which increases the Prime Minister’s political isolation and poses a dangerous and new front against one of the strongest economic powers in Asia.
