South Korean opposition leader and former presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung was attacked in the neck by a knife-wielding assailant on Tuesday, according to local media reports.
The 59-year-old chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea was attending an event in Busan following a visit to the construction site of a new airport in the southeastern port city's Gadeok Island, Yonhap News Agency said.
Lee had been his party's presidential nominee in the 2022 race, which was eventually won by current President Yoon Suk Yeol of the conservative People Power Party by a margin of less than 1 percent.
Eyewitnesses said the suspect, described as a man in his 60s or 70s, approached Lee and asked for his autograph before attacking him with a weapon about 8-12 inches in length.
A crowd of reporters at the scene captured the distressing moment—shared widely on social media—the alleged assailant thrust the weapon toward Lee's neck, sparking panic.
BREAKING: South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung stabbed in the neck pic.twitter.com/4AQlxERdal
— Ryan (@breakingryan1) January 2, 2024
The still-conscious Lee was sent to Pusan National University Hospital for treatment of a laceration wound that measured about half an inch.
He was later airlifted to Seoul National University Hospital for surgery amid concerns damage to his jugular vein had put him at risk of heavy bleeding, Yonhap said, although Lee's condition was reported as stable.
The suspect, who was immediately arrested on site, has neither disclosed his identity nor commented on his motives for allegedly carrying out the attack, the agency said, citing local police.
The Korean National Police Agency and the Democratic Party of Korea did not immediately respond to Newsweek's separate requests for comment.
According to Yonhap, the suspect was among a crowd at a public event attended by Lee last month, but he was unable get close to the politician.
Footage of Tuesday's incident showed the suspect wearing a paper crown over his head. It appeared to be the same pro-Lee crown he was seen wearing last month, the agency said.
A presidential spokesperson said Yoon expressed deep concern for Lee's condition and ordered authorities to quickly establish the facts of the case.
National police chief Yoon Hee-keun tasked Busan police with creating a special task force to investigate the attack. Lee One-seok, South Korea's prosecutor general, ordered the Busan High Prosecutors' Office to work alongside police, reported the Korean Herald.
Attacks against public figures in the East Asian country are uncommon but have occurred in recent memory.
Lee's predecessor, Song Young-gil, was injured by a hammer-wielding assailant in 2022. Park Geun-hye, who was eventually elected president, required surgery after a knife attack in 2006.
In July 2022 in neighboring Japan, former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo died following wounds sustained from a suspected homemade shotgun.
Lee was known for progressive policies during his tenure as governor of South Korea's western Gyeonggi province, the country's most populous.
An outspoken advocate of universal basic income, Lee in 2019 launched a program to send quarterly checks to 24-year-olds across the province.
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Micah McCartney is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers U.S.-China relations, East Asian and Southeast Asian ... Read more
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