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Seoul welcomes Gaza hostage release, praises Trump's role

Published: 15 Oct. 2025, 08:55

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a signed document during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt on Oct. 13. [AP/YONHAP]

Korea on Tuesday welcomed the release of Israeli hostages from Gaza and a recent peace summit aimed at ending years of conflict in the region.

The Foreign Ministry issued a statement after Hamas released its remaining Israeli hostages and Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners in a key step toward ending two years of war in Gaza under a cease-fire deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump.

On Monday, Trump signed a declaration for bringing peace to Gaza at a summit in Egypt alongside the leaders of the nations that mediated the cease-fire.

"The government welcomes the release of hostages from Gaza on Oct. 13, the holding of the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt, and the announcement of the Trump Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity," the Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said in a statement.

The ministry also credited Trump's diplomatic efforts in securing the landmark agreement.

"We urge the relevant parties to promptly agree upon and thoroughly implement the next steps, including the disarmament of Hamas, the deployment of an international stabilization force and the withdrawal of Israeli troops," the statement said.

Yonhap