South Korean Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung has been stabbed in the neck during a press scrum in Busan. The opposition leader, who narrowly lost the presidential elections to Yoon Suk Yeol of the conservative People Power Party in 2022, was airlifted to Seoul National University Hospital.
“This is an act of terror on Representative Lee Jae-myung and a serious threat to democracy which should never take place under any circumstances,” said Democratic Party spokesman Kwon Chil-seung outside the hospital.
Lee’s condition is currently unknown, but he reportedly sustained damage to his jugular vein and has undergone surgery. The Democratic Party said the procedure “took longer than expected, and we are closely following his progress.”
The suspect, a man in his sixties who approached Lee wearing a paper crown and claiming to be an autograph-seeker, has been named only as Kim. As of the time of publication, no motive for the attack had been disclosed, but he did confess it was his intention to assassinate Lee.
BREAKING: South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung has been stabbed in the neck
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 2, 2024
