South Korean Opposition Leader Stabbed In Neck, Perpetrator Initially Wants To Sign

Illustration (Image by Ninik Verlaan from Pixabay)

JAKARTA - South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck during a visit to the city of Busan. Lee, who lost narrowly in the 2022 presidential election, suffered a 1 cm tear on the left side of his neck. Lee was eventually flown to the hospital. The doctor who handled it, as reported by the BBC, Wednesday, January 3, said the wound was not life-threatening. Yonhap news agency said the perpetrator of the stabbing who was 66 years old intended to kill Lee. The motive for the attack, which took place on Tuesday, January 2, cannot be ascertained. The action was criticized by a number of South Korean politicians including the current President Yoon Suk Yeol. Lee, who led the Democratic Party of Korea, told reporters at a news conference during a visit to the construction site at Busan port on Tuesday morning when the attacker reportedly approached him for signature. He then hit the front to stab the politician with a knife measuring 18 cm (7 inches). According to the attacker, the knife was bought online. Prosecutors plan to file a murder attempt against the man, Yonhap said. Videos posted on social media showed Lee first fell into a crowd and then fell to the ground, while several people tried to detain the assailant. Photos after the incident show Lee lying on the ground with his eyes sealed as someone attaches a broom to his neck. A spokesman for Lee's party said medical staff suspected an injury to his neck blood vessel, which brought blood from the head to the heart. Lee had to undergo "fast" surgery because they were worried about further bleeding, Lee's spokesman Kwon Chil-seung said. He added that they saw the attack as a "real act of democratic destruction". Yoon's office quoted the president as saying South Korea "must not tolerate such acts of violence under any circumstances".

Lee currently holds a seat in Incheon in South Korea's legislature. He narrowly lost in the 2022 presidential election - with a margin of votes of only 0.73% - from Mr. Yoon, making him the closest presidential election in South Korean history. He is widely expected to run for the 2027 presidential election.