The President of South Korea, Lee Jae-myung, reaffirmed his firm commitment to respecting global human rights.

His message came days after he released a 2024 video showing members of the Israeli army torturing a “Palestinian child” and pushing him off a rooftop, which prompted a response from Israel.

The South Korean President said, "It is unfortunate that you have never once reviewed the criticisms made by people around the world who suffer and struggle due to ongoing acts against human rights and international law."

He concluded: "When I feel pain, others feel that pain just as deeply."

He stated in a post that "the sovereignty of every state and global human rights must be respected, and wars of aggression must be rejected, as this represents the spirit of our constitution and an international norm."

South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On Saturday, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed regret over Israel’s “misunderstanding” of Lee’s remarks, stating that his comments reflect “his convictions regarding global human rights.”

It said that what the president published, comparing alleged Israeli violations to the historical atrocities against Jews and Koreans, was a call for "universal human rights and not an opinion on any specific issue."

Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In response, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the incident was “investigated and addressed.”

It added in a statement, "For some strange reason, President Lee Jae-myung chose to revive a story from 2024 and cite a fake account that falsely presented it as an ongoing event," saying that "this account is known for spreading misleading information and lies against Israel."

In his repost of the video, the South Korean President said on the "X" platform: "I need to verify whether this is true, and if so, what measures have been taken."