South Korea tells Israel to stop playing the victim

Several South Korean government officials have called out Israel on social media, urging it to break free from the “chain of hatred” and the “memory of victimhood”. Basically, South Korea found a professional way to tell Israel to stop playing the victim.

The first statement came from Lee Jae Myung, the President of the Republic of Korea. It was in response to a video in which an Israeli soldier threw a Palestinian man off a roof. He stated:

I need to look into whether this is true, and if so, what measures have been taken.

The forced comfort women issue that we are raising is no different from the Jewish massacre or wartime killings.

In response, the Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a statement.

The remarks by the President of Korea, Lee Jae Myung, including the trivialization of the massacre of Jews on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel, are unacceptable and warrant strong condemnation.

President Lee Jae Myung, for some strange reason, chose to dig up a… https://t.co/sQzisQGxa5

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) April 10, 2026

It stated:

including the trivialization of the massacre of Jews on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel, are unacceptable and warrant strong condemnation.

Israel wants to keep bringing up the Holocaust while committing another one. At what point does the world realise it’s just an excuse?

And why are Palestinian lives, or Korean lives, worth less than the lives of Israelis?

The President of South Korea said a video of the IOF tossing a Palestinian child off of a roof reminded him of Japanese crimes against Koreans during colonialism and the Holocaust

israel says this “trivializes” the Holocaust. As if Koreans and Palestinians are inherently cheaper https://t.co/IcEX2cTBWD

— 박주현 (@hermit_hwarang) April 10, 2026

Israel is like the abusive man who refuses to go to therapy for his own childhood abuse. Your pain is not an excuse to cause more pain.

The account also claimed the video was fake. It wasn’t. Israel should know that tactic doesn’t work anymore.

The incident happened in 2024 in the West Bank. At least two other soldiers stood and watched.

Unsurprisingly, the statement also brings up Hezbollah and Hamas, and labels them ‘terrorists’. But from where I’m standing, the only terrorists are the US and Israel.

South Korea condemns indiscriminate killings

In response, Choo Mi-ae, the first female leader of South Korea’s Democratic Party, also put out a statement.

She pointed out the forced enslavement and sexual abuse by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War Two, along with the imprisonment, massacres, live burials in mines and military bases, chemical and biological experiments, and the Kantō earthquake massacre.

Essentially, she listed all the reasons that South Korea could be using to justify playing the victim and committing genocide. The difference, though? It isn’t.

She ended with:

No matter how much it is Israel, I strongly support President Lee Jae-myung for sending the message that indiscriminately killing civilians is wrong from a human rights perspective.

Are world leaders finally growing a backbone?

Of course, killing civilians is wrong from pretty much every perspective — unless you’re a genocidal war criminal.

Victimhood

Finally, Park Hong-geun, Minister of Planning and Budget, called on Israel to:

break free as soon as possible from the chain of hatred where the memory of victimhood leads to further perpetration

He then took a dig at Israel’s lack of universal human rights:

The Ministry of Economy and Finance will, in designing the future of the Republic of Korea, prioritize the people’s livelihood and national interests as core values, while never losing sight of universal human rights as the foundation of human civilization.

Of course, it’s rare for a US ally to stand up to Israel.

Wow, that’s extremely rare for a U.S. treaty ally.

South Korea’s president, addressing Israel: “It’s disappointing that you don’t even once reflect on the criticisms from people around the world who are suffering and struggling due to your relentless anti-human rights and… https://t.co/g16kNSNdC0

— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) April 11, 2026

But really, far more world leaders should be saying the same thing.

More European leaders including UK – should be saying this. https://t.co/p9v3VBrq6M

— Paul Gosling (@PaulGosling1) April 11, 2026

Who’d have thought we would have all this crying and victimhood because the president of South Korea said that it’s wrong to throw people off a rooftop?

Israel thinks the Holocaust is a universal get-out-of-jail-free card. But it isn’t. At some point, you have to decide not to perpetrate the exact same crimes your own people are trying to heal from, or the cycle never ends.

Many world leaders are staying silent and refusing to call Israel’s actions what they are — war crimes. But silence only benefits the oppressor. Which is why the rare occasions that they do speak out are so important.

Feature image via 이재명 / YouTube