Published on April 4, 2026
A Seoul court has rejected a Korean activist’s request to halt a government order demanding the return of her passport, as she sought to join a humanitarian flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip.
Legal sources reported on Saturday that the Seoul Administrative Court dismissed the request the previous day. The case was brought forth -hyun, also known name Haecho, after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ordered her to return her passport due to safety concerns.
The court noted that it was challenging to ascertain that the ministry’s action would lead to irreparable harm or that there was an urgent need to suspend it. Furthermore, granting the request might significantly affect the public interest.
In October of last year, Kim attempted to enter Gaza aboard a ship with other humanitarian activists but was detained and held in a local prison for two days before her release. In January, she expressed her intention to participate in another aid mission with fellow Korean activists, prompting the Foreign Ministry to issue the passport return order, citing safety risks. This order was formally delivered to her on March 27.
However, Kim had already left for a third country in mid-March, prior to the issuance of the order, after authorizing the progressive legal advocacy group Lawyers for a Democratic Society, known as Minbyun, to act on her behalf.
In addition to the injunction request, Minbyun has filed an administrative lawsuit seeking to overturn the ministry’s order requiring her to surrender her passport.
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