South Korean Opposition Leader Stabbed in the Neck, Perpetrator Pretending to Be a Supporter Successfully Arrested

South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung. (Wikimedia Commons/Obviously)

JAKARTA - South Korean Democratic Party opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck during a visit to Busan City on Tuesday, drawing condemnation from President Yoon Suk-yeol while the perpetrator of the stabbing was arrested.

Lee, who narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election, is conscious and has been taken to a local university hospital, a party official and firefighter told Reuters, as quoted on January 2.

Lee was attacked by unknown men while visiting the site of the planned airport, Yonhap news agency said. The attack caused a wound of about 1 cm on his neck, YTN television reported.

The attacker appeared to be a man in his 50s or 60s, who was wearing a paper crown with Lee's name on it, according to news photos.

He approached Lee for an autograph, then suddenly lunged forward and attacked him, news reports said. The attacker was quickly subdued and arrested at the scene, Yonhap said.

Quoting The Korea Times, the male suspect pretended to be one of Lee's supporters, before carrying out the attack with an unknown weapon that was about 20-30 centimeters long, according to eyewitnesses.

Meanwhile, President Yoon Suk-yeol condemned the attack and said the act was unacceptable, his office said.

President Yoon expressed deep concern for Lee and instructed that the best care be given so that he can recover quickly, his office said.

It is known that Lee, the former governor of Gyeonggi Province, narrowly lost to conservative President Yoon, a former chief prosecutor, in the 2022 presidential election. Lee himself has led the main opposition party since August 2022.

Despite strict restrictions on firearm ownership, South Korea has a record of political violence involving other types of weapons.

Lee's predecessor Song Young-gil was attacked in 2022 at a public event by an assailant who swung a blunt object at his head, causing lacerations.

Much earlier, conservative opposition party leader Park Geun-hye, who later served as president, was attacked at an event in 2006 with a knife and suffered injuries to her face that required surgery.