Lee Jae-myung, recognized as South Korea’s main opposition party leader, was stabbed in the neck at an impromptu press conference in the southern city of Busan. Lee had just completed a tour of the Gadeokdo New Airport construction site and had stopped to talk with a gathering of reporters.
There, a yet-to-be-identified man in his sixties approached Lee, asking for an autograph. The man mingling with Lee supporters, wore a paper crown with Lee’s name on it. He suddenly lunged forward and stabbed Lee in the left side of his neck. The attacker was immediately subdued, separated from the crowd, and arrested. Lee was airlifted to Pusan National University Hospital and was transferred to Seoul National University Hospital in a "conscious state.”
BREAKING: South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung has been stabbed in the neck
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 2, 2024
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In a briefing, the Busan Police stated that the weapon was a 7-inch-long knife that had been purchased online. The attacker was refusing to answer police questions, so no motive has been given. The attack left a half-inch laceration on Lee’s neck. He was taken in for vein reconstruction surgery to repair damage to his jugular vein and is said to be recovering in the Intensive care unit.
Lee, 59, a liberal former provincial governor, narrowly lost to Yoon Suk Yeol of the conservative People Power Party in the presidential election in March 2022. The election was the closest in South Korean history, with Yoon garnering 48.56 percent of the vote and Lee earning 47.83 percent. Lee became the leader of the Democratic Party five months later and has been gearing up his party for the parliamentary elections in April.
Yoon expressed “deep concern” for Lee’s safety after the attack, according to the presidential office. Yoon emphasized that such violence “should not be tolerated under any circumstances” and ordered the police to swiftly investigate, the office said.
A small crowd gathered outside the Seoul National Hospital on Tuesday afternoon as Lee’s ambulance arrived. Naturally, there was a strong police presence. After the attack, South Korea’s National Police issued a statement pledging to increase personal protection for “key personnel” to prevent additional attacks.
South Korean politics have been deeply divided in recent years between conservative and liberal viewpoints. One reason is that former President Park Geun-hye was jailed on abuse of power and bribery charges before being pardoned and released in 2021.
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