May 4 (UPI) -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ignited a diplomatic firestorm between South Korea and Israel.
He made false claims and hurled insulting and lurid accusations at Israel, combined with profoundly offensive Holocaust parallels as Israel commemorated Yom HaShoah that same week, remembering the murder of 6 million Jews by the Nazis during World War II.
All of this was based on a story from 2024, generated by a fake account as a legitimate current event. The Israeli Foreign Ministry swiftly reacted, expressing regret over Lee's failing to mention attacks against Israeli civilians, including attacks by Iranian-sponsored terrorist groups.
Instead of de-escalating, Lee's ruling South Korean Democratic Party issued further allegations of behavior contradicting international law and human rights, blaming the current U.S-Iran conflict on alleged Israeli influence.
Whether a diplomatic blunder or cynical political gambit, the relentless South Korean escalation based on fake news is unprecedented.
Since its creation, South Korea has balanced its relations with Israel and Muslim states in the Middle East. South Korea has had relations with Israel since 1948, elevated to full official diplomatic relations in 1962.
In the early 1960s, South Korea made the transition from export substitution to export-led growth. Bicycle repair shops turned into global corporations. South Korea achieved the Han River Miracle, astounding economic development spanning just a few...
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