From Seoul to Gaza

Korea is not a country known for its multiculturalism. But the Palestinian movement is rewriting what solidarity looks like here.

Most Koreans didn't know much about Palestine when Nareman moved from Bethlehem to Seoul in August 2023.

"Oh, you're from Pakistan?" Koreans used to ask, brows furrowed. It was not a question designed to offend, but instead reflected a deeper reality: South Korea's distance from the Middle East, geographically, politically, and imaginatively.

"No, from Palestine," She would repeatedly correct. It wasn't long before she grew resigned to the fact that her homeland barely existed in Korean public consciousness.

Then came October 7. And suddenly, everyone had an opinion.