South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung Criticises Israel Amid Disinformation Row

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Seoul:South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday accused Israel of failing to reflect on allegations of human rights abuses, after facing criticism from Israel Foreign Ministry for amplifying what it called social media “disinformation.”

The controversy began when Lee commented on a viral video on X that claimed to show Israeli soldiers abusing a Palestinian child. He said he would need to verify the clip and determine what action had been taken if it were authentic. However, journalists were unable to confirm the origin of the footage.

The video appeared to resemble a separate incident filmed in the West Bank two years ago, where an Israeli soldier was seen pushing the body of an apparently dead adult man off a rooftop. That footage had drawn international concern at the time, with the White House calling it “deeply disturbing” and seeking an explanation from Israel.

Responding to Lee’s remarks, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the incident had already been investigated and criticised the South Korean leader for referencing outdated material. It also accused the social media account that shared the above-mentioned information of being fake and of spreading anti-Israeli misinformation.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry sought to ease tensions, saying Lee’s post was intended as a broader appeal for universal human rights rather than a direct stance on a specific incident. However, Lee doubled down on his position, expressing disappointment that Israel had not reflected on global criticism over alleged violations of human rights and international law.

South Korea, a key ally of the United States, has generally maintained a balanced approach to the Middle East conflict, avoiding alignment with either side.