Iranian model Hoda Niku slams Seoul's humanitarian aid to Tehran, says 'none of it will reach ordinary people'
Published: 16 Apr. 2026, 18:08
Updated: 16 Apr. 2026, 18:28
![Hoda Niku [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/16/8f60e630-b86d-44b8-8fd1-6f8bf44c96c5.jpg)
Hoda Niku [SCREEN CAPTURE]
In an Instagram post, Niku wrote that "not even a dollar of the aid would reach ordinary people" and called Korea’s support an “explicit endorsement of terrorism.”
The Korean government announced Tuesday that it would provide $500,000 in humanitarian assistance to war-torn Iran at the request of international organizations. The fund is expected to be delivered via the International Committee of the Red Cross.
“If money is wired to Iran at this time, it will […] fall into the hands of a dictatorship that has massacred 40,000 people and will be used for weapon purchases and acts of terrorism,” Niku wrote. “Iranians do not need money or support. They do not want any kind of support to be given to the regime in their names.”
![Hoda Niku's Instagram post about Korea's humanitarian aid to Iran [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/16/9b655ce7-6c55-47a2-8758-b5ecd7a14d9e.jpg)
Hoda Niku's Instagram post about Korea's humanitarian aid to Iran [SCREEN CAPTURE]
“Iranians have waited 47 years for this regime to collapse, and they are now enduring the pain as foreign forces attempt to overthrow a dictatorship they cannot root out on their own,” Niku wrote.
While expressing hope that the current regime could be overthrown, Niku said Korea could foster “mutually beneficial ties” with a future Iranian government — if Seoul is not as closely aligned with the current regime as it is now.
As her post was reported by multiple local media outlets, she deleted the post and, on Thursday afternoon, uploaded a subsequent clarification stating that her earlier comments were intended to "represent the hearts of Iranians who had contacted" her.
She said the delivery of aid appears challenging under the current structure, noting that it would be a relief if supplies were delivered to injured people and Iranians.
Niku placed third in the 2018 Miss Iran competition. She has spoken out on human rights issues in Iran and criticized Iran’s theocratic regime through her activism and her social media.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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