South Korean President Lee Jae Myung criticizes Israel over human rights allegations amid social media dispute

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has accused Israel of failing to address allegations of human rights abuses by its forces, following a social media dispute. The controversy began after Lee commented on a video he shared, which he said depicted Israeli soldiers torturing and pushing a "Palestinian kid" off a roof. He stated he needed to investigate the truth of the video and any actions taken. While AFP could not immediately verify the video's origin, it appeared to show a different angle of an incident captured by AFPTV two years prior, where an Israeli soldier pushed an apparently dead adult man off a roof in the West Bank. In 2024, the White House had called similar footage "deeply disturbing" and sought an explanation from Israel. Israel's foreign ministry responded, stating the incident was already "investigated and addressed." The ministry criticized Lee for citing a "fake account" that presented the 2024 event as current, accusing the account of spreading "anti-Israeli disinformation." South Korea's foreign ministry attempted to de-escalate the situation, explaining Lee's post as a call for "universal human rights" rather than a specific opinion. However, Lee later posted another message, expressing disappointment that Israel did not reflect on criticisms regarding "anti-human rights and anti-international law actions," emphasizing shared pain. South Korea, an ally of the United States, has typically maintained a neutral stance on Middle East conflicts.