BUSAN, KR – Lee Jae-myung, South Korea’s opposition leader, was assaulted during a tour in Busan on Tuesday. The leader of the Democratic Party was attacked in the neck by an unknown man while visiting a potential airport site.
Lee is currently conscious and was promptly transported to the Pusan National University Hospital via helicopter, according to party and fire department officials. The assault resulted in a 1 cm wound on Lee’s neck, as reported by YTN television.
The alleged assailant, a man believed to be in his 50s or 60s, was wearing a paper crown with Lee’s name on it, according to images captured at the scene. The man approached Lee under the guise of seeking an autograph amidst a crowd of supporters before launching his attack. He was promptly apprehended and detained at the site.
The attacker has yet to disclose his motives, refusing to cooperate with police inquiries, as reported by the local Busan Ilbo daily. Video footage and social media posts depict the man lunging at Lee, who subsequently collapsed in pain.
President Yoon Suk Yeol, who narrowly defeated Lee in the 2022 presidential elections, has condemned the attack, labeling it as unacceptable. The president expressed his concern for Lee and called for him to receive the best possible care to ensure a swift recovery.
This incident is not an isolated case in South Korea, a country with a history of political violence despite strict gun laws. Lee’s predecessor, Song Young-gil, was assaulted at a public event in 2022, suffering a laceration from a blunt object.