The leader of South Korea’s political opposition, Lee Jae-myung, was subjected to a stabbing during a news conference in the southern port city of Busan.
This incident occurred on Tuesday morning, where the assailant, a man appearing to be in his 60s to 70s, approached Lee under the guise of seeking an autograph before unexpectedly stabbing him on the left side of his neck with a weapon approximately 20cm to 30cm long.
Despite sustaining a 1cm laceration, Lee was treated in the hospital while conscious, and his injuries were deemed non-life-threatening by the police.
The attacker was promptly arrested at the scene. Videos of the attack circulated on social media, depicting Lee collapsing into the crowd and then onto the ground as onlookers attempted to subdue the assailant.
The motive and identity of the attacker remain undisclosed, and the South Korean news agency, Yonhap, reported that the man has not provided any information.
Lee, who narrowly lost the 2022 presidential elections, currently holds a legislative seat in Incheon and is anticipated to run in the upcoming general election in April. He is also widely expected to contend in the presidential elections in 2027.
Following the incident, Lee was airlifted to Seoul National University Hospital, where medical staff expressed concerns about a potential injury to his jugular vein.
The spokesman for Lee’s Democratic Party of Korea, Kwon Chil-seung, condemned the attack, deeming it a clear act of democracy destruction.
“After being transferred to Seoul National University Hospital, we plan to operate quickly. We strongly condemn the attack and consider it a clear act of democracy destruction,” he said.
This incident adds to a series of physical attacks on South Korean politicians, with Lee’s predecessor, Song Young-gil, surviving an assault with a blunt object in March 2022 while campaigning for Lee.
