When appearing in public
Attacker stabs South Korea’s opposition leader
January 2, 2024, 8:10 a.m
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While the South Korean opposition leader was answering questions from journalists during a visit to the city of Busan, a man pounced on him and seriously injured him. The attacker is arrested. What his motive is has so far puzzled investigators.
The leader of South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party, Lee Jae Myung, was stabbed in the neck by an attacker during a visit to the southern city of Busan. He was flown to a university hospital for treatment and was conscious, party members and fire department officials said. South Korean television station YTN reported that the attack left Lee with a wound about a centimeter long. The injury was not life-threatening, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap.
The attacker appeared to be a man in his 50s or 60s wearing a paper crown with Lee’s name on it, news photos showed. Video footage shows the man approaching Lee, who was surrounded by reporters and supporters, and asking for his autograph. Then, according to the video footage, he suddenly pounces on the opposition politician. According to reports, the attacker posed as a supporter of the head of the Democratic Party (DP).
Jin Jeong-hwa, a Lee supporter who livestreamed the event, said there were two dozen police officers at the scene. According to video clips from several media outlets, the attacker was quickly overpowered by men, including police officers. According to the Busan Ilbo daily, he refused to answer police questions about his motives. The incident occurred as Lee was answering questions from journalists after visiting a construction site for a new airport on the southeastern island of Gadeok. It is not yet known what the perpetrator used to stab him. Yonhap reported from an unidentified stabbing weapon that was around 20 to 30 centimeters long.
Lee Jae Myung narrowly lost in elections
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol condemned the attack on Lee as an “unforgivable act,” according to a statement from the presidential office. He said he was deeply concerned about Lee and had ordered the best possible treatment for him.
The incident occurred a few months before the scheduled general election in April. In the presidential election two years ago, Lee was narrowly defeated by the right-wing conservative Yoon. At that time, Lee’s goal was to renew the politics of the heavily divided country. Among other things, he also campaigned for the introduction of an unconditional basic income.
Shortly before the election, the election campaign was overshadowed by an act of violence against Lee’s predecessor Song Young Gil as party leader of the DP. Song was hit on the head with a solid object by a man. Song survived but suffered injuries. In May 2006, then opposition leader and later president Park Geun Hye was injured in the face in a knife attack.
Lee is currently on trial for alleged bribery in connection with a development project. He has denied any wrongdoing and called the allegations “fiction” and a “political conspiracy.” Lee has been chairman of South Korea’s largest opposition party since August 2022.