South Korea’s opposition figure, Lee Jae-myung, faced a shocking incident on Tuesday when he was stabbed in the neck during a visit to Busan, a southern port city. Lee, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, remained conscious and was swiftly airlifted to Pusan National University Hospital after an unidentified assailant attacked him while touring a proposed airport site.
The attack inflicted a 1 cm-long gash on Lee’s neck, YTN television reported.
The suspected assailant, a man in his 50s or 60s, donned a paper crown with Lee’s name and approached him amidst supporters, ostensibly seeking an autograph. However, he abruptly lunged forward, initiating the attack. The assailant was promptly subdued and arrested at the scene, yet he refused to disclose his motives during police questioning, according to Busan Ilbo.
Video footage aired on YTN and circulated on social media depicted the assault, showing the assailant lunging at Lee, who grimaced and collapsed. Images captured Lee lying on the ground, eyes closed, with others applying a handkerchief to his neck. Approximately two dozen police officers responded to the scene.
President Yoon Suk Yeol condemned the attack, deeming it unacceptable, and expressed deep concern for Lee’s well-being, urging the best care for a speedy recovery. Lee, a former governor of Gyeonggi province, narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election to conservative Yoon, who has since become a notable figure. Lee has led the main opposition party since August 2022, and South Korea’s upcoming parliamentary elections are scheduled for April.
Despite stringent regulations on gun possession, South Korea has a history of political violence involving alternative weapons. Lee’s predecessor, Song Young-gil, encountered an attack in 2022, where an assailant wielding a blunt object struck his head. Additionally, in 2006, then-conservative opposition party leader Park Geun-hye, who later became president, was assaulted with a knife at an event, requiring surgery for a facial gash. In 2015, then-U.S. ambassador to South Korea, Mark Lippert, suffered a large facial gash when attacked during a public event.
{Matzav.com}
