During an unplanned news conference in Busan, South Korea, on January 2nd, Lee Jae-myung, who was widely acknowledged as the head of the major opposition party, was knifed in the neck. Lee paused to speak with reporters after finishing his visit to the Gadeokdo New Airport site.
A report indicates that the middle-aged male, who has not been named, approached Lee and asked for his signature. The individual was seen interacting with Lee’s followers. In an abrupt and violent motion, he stabbed Lee in the neck. The assailant was swiftly restrained, removed, and taken into custody. Lee was evacuated to Pusan National University Hospital in a conscious state.
The assailant, who left a half-inch wound on Lee’s neck, declined to answer the police’s questions. Lee recuperated in an Intensive Care unit after undergoing vein repair surgery.
Lee, a liberal former governor of a South Korean province, was attacked with a 7-inch knife. In March 2022, he lost the presidential race to Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative leader of the People Power Party. Five months later, Lee took over as head of the Democratic Party, and this April, he will be ready to run for a seat in parliament.
Many of Yoon’s main measures have Lee’s vehement criticism. He is now the subject of several investigations and cases of corruption. Lee claims that Yoon’s administration is out for political vengeance and denies any misconduct on his part.
According to the presidential office, Yoon conveyed concern for Lee’s safety after the incident. Yoon said that the police must act quickly to investigate the incident, stressing that violence of this kind cannot be allowed.
In a statement released after the incident, the National Police of South Korea promised to beef up security for crucial personnel to forestall future assaults.
Liberals and conservatives in South Korea have been at odds for some time now. In 2021, former President Park Geun-hye was pardoned and freed from prison after serving time for bribery and abuse of power.
