Gaza Activist Loses Lawsuit... Ordered to Return Passport

Let's take a look at our third hot topic.

A Gaza activist must return their passport.

It's a designated travel-ban area.

An activist who had their passport invalidated after attempting to enter the Gaza Strip in Palestine filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The court ruled that the activist ultimately lost the case.

The Seoul Administrative Court ruled against the plaintiff, Kim A-yeon, in a lawsuit seeking the cancellation of the passport return order filed against the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Previously, in October of last year, Kim boarded the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's ship heading to Gaza, but was detained in a local prison for two days after the ship was intercepted by the Israeli military before being released.

Afterwards, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ordered the return of the passport, but in March, before receiving the notice, Kim left the country to set sail again.

When the passport was invalidated, Kim filed a lawsuit.

Under the Passport Act, if a return order is not accepted, its validity is automatically revoked.

The court explained that while the plaintiff's humanitarian beliefs and freedom of action must be respected, the state also has a duty to protect the lives, safety, and physical well-being of its citizens.

In response, right after the ruling, Kim protested, asking what kind of safety the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the court, and the South Korean government are actually talking about.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.