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Rising tensions in the Gaza Strip have prompted 100 public figures in South Korea to add their names to a petition that was destined for the Israeli embassy in Seoul. Among the signatories were top Korean filmmakers PARK Chan-wook (Oldboy, 2003) and RYOO Seung-wan (The Berlin File). The petition was led by Nanum Munhwa, a South Korean non-profit organization advocating for peace in the Middle East.

 

The document, which was also sent to the United Nations Human Rights Council and the South Korean Foreign Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Seoul, referred to the conflict in Gaza as a ‘civilian massacre’ and urged Israel to cease its actions against Palestine. In addition, the petition also called on the South Korean government, as well as those of the US and various European countries to discontinue their sales of arms to the country. Reports suggest that South Korea sold USD 22 million work of arms from Korea to Israel in 2008.

 

The filmmakers aren’t the first major entertainment figures to condemn the Gaza Conflict, following a strongly worded open letter by film industry power couple Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, which was in turn denounced by Hollywood veteran Jon Voight.

The petition was delivered in the midst of a 72-hour ceasefire between the warring Israeli and Hamas factions.