Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, was attacked by an elderly man in the city of Busan on Tuesday.
While visiting the southern port city of Busan, Mr. Lee was assaulted by a 66-year-old man who stabbed him, as reported by Son Je-han, a senior investigator with the Busan police.
Following a media session where Mr. Lee had just finished answering questions about a proposed airport, he was moving through a crowd when the assault occurred, as shown in the footage.
The 59-year-old politician fell to the ground, prompting bystanders to rush to his aid. A man was seen applying a handkerchief to Lee’s neck.
As he was speaking with reporters while walking towards his car, an assailant approached Mr. Lee, asking for his autograph, according to an eyewitness who spoke to local broadcaster YTN.
The witness further stated that Lee was then hit with what seemed to be a knife. Yonhap reported that the attacker has been apprehended.
Lee Jae-myung, the Chief of the Democratic Party, narrowly lost the 2022 presidential race to conservative Yoon Suk Yeol, making it the most tightly contested election in South Korea’s history. Yoon’s spokesperson, Kim Soo-kyung, expressed the conservative leader’s deep concern for the safety of Lee Jae-myung upon hearing of the attack.
Busan police confirmed that the attacker had been arrested and was being investigated for a possible charge of attempted murder. However, they did not release specific information about Mr. Lee’s condition or the assailant’s motives. It was stated that the attacker used a knife with a five-inch blade.
News reports and photos from the scene showed that Mr. Lee had a bleeding neck before being transported by ambulance. He was initially taken to a hospital in Busan and later airlifted to Seoul National University Hospital for further treatment by helicopter.
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