The attacker subdued by men refused to answer police questions about his motives, according to Busan media
- Lee’s injuries are not life-threatening, hospital officials say.
- The attacker appeared to be between 50 and 60 years old and was posing as a supporter.
- The South Korean president condemns the attack on Lee.
The leader of South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, was stabbed in the neck on Tuesday during a visit to the southern city of Busan to tour the site of a proposed airport, according to party and fire officials.
After receiving emergency treatment and CT scans, Lee was airlifted to Pusan National University Hospital in Seoul, where officials revealed that the injury was not life-threatening.
According YTN television, the attack left an approximately 1 cm cut on his neck.
Lee, who narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election, was attacked by an unidentified man who appeared to be in his 50s or 60s and was wearing a paper crown with Lee’s name on it, news photographs showed.
According to the video, the man approached and asked for an autograph as Lee spoke among a crowd of fans and reporters, then lunged forward and attacked him.
A Lee supporter, who was on site live-streaming the event, said Reuters There were two dozen police officers present.
The attacker was quickly subdued by men, including police officers, the images show. He refused to answer daily police questions about his motives. Busan Ilbo reported.
Meanwhile, Yonhap The news agency reported that South Korea’s police chief has said a team will be created for a “prompt and thorough investigation of the attack.”
President Yoon Suk Yeol condemned the attack and ordered that the best care be provided, his office said.
“This type of violence should never be tolerated under any circumstances,” Yoon was quoted as saying by his office.
Lee is currently on trial for alleged bribery stemming from a development project when he was mayor of Seongnam, near Seoul. He denied doing anything wrong.
South Korea has a history of political violence, although it has strict restrictions on gun ownership. There is a police presence at major events, but political leaders are usually not under close security protection.
Lee’s predecessor, Song Young-gil, was attacked in 2022 at a public event by an assailant who threw a blunt object at his head, causing a laceration.
Then opposition conservative party leader Park Geun-hye, who later served as president, was stabbed at an event in 2006 and suffered a cut to her face that required surgery.
— Additional contributions from Reuters
