South Korean Opposition Leader Stabbed in the Neck During Public Appearance
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck by an unidentified knife-wielding man during a visit to the southeastern city of Busan on Tuesday, according to police reports.
Lee, who heads the main opposition Democratic Party, was immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. While police and emergency officials stated that he was conscious and not in critical condition, his exact status was unknown.
The attack occurred as Lee was walking through a crowd of journalists and supporters after concluding a tour of the site of a new airport in Busan. The assailant, posing as a supporter, approached Lee under the pretense of wanting an autograph, then proceeded to stab him in the neck with a knife, according to Busan police.
Witnesses at the scene recall Lee slumping to the ground, where someone pressed a handkerchief to his neck to stop the bleeding. Videos of the incident, circulating on social media, show the suspect, wearing a paper crown reading “I’m Lee Jae-myung,” being chased and tackled by several people.
The police reported that the man was arrested on the spot and, during questioning, he refused to provide a reason for the attack. Lee’s Democratic Party has labeled the incident as “a terrorist attack on Lee and a serious threat to democracy,” calling on the police to conduct a thorough and swift investigation.
President Yoon Suk Yeol has expressed deep concern for Lee’s health and ordered authorities to investigate the attack, stating that such violence would not be tolerated. Lee lost the 2022 presidential election to Yoon by a narrow margin.
The opposition leader, a liberal former provincial governor, is known for his outspoken style, with his supporters viewing him as an anti-elitist hero who could reform establishment politics, eradicate corruption, and address growing economic inequality. However, critics see him as a dangerous populist who relies on stoking divisions and demonizing his conservative opponents.