Lee Jae-myung, the leader of South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party, was airlifted to a hospital in Seoul after being stabbed in the neck. Image: 경기도 뉴스포털, via Wikimedia Commons
Lee Jae-myung, the leader of South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party, was airlifted to a hospital in Seoul after being stabbed in the neck during a visit to Busan.
Lee was visiting the southeastern port city to survey a proposed airport site and was accompanied by a crowd of journalists and onlookers.
A man, purporting to be a fan of Lee’s, asked the politician for his autograph before plunging a knife into the left side of his neck.
He was quickly apprehended by a group of security personnel and is being held in custody.
Footage captured of the incident shows the assailant wearing a paper crown with the words “I’m Lee Jae-myung” written upon it.
Party spokesperson Kwon Chil-seung told reporters that Lee received emergency treatment on the scene before being airlifted to Seoul, where he would undergo a two-hour operation to repair a major blood vessel.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Lee’s opponent in the 2022 presidential election, said that the attack was unacceptable.
“This type of violence must never be tolerated under any circumstances,” said Yoon.
Lee Jae-myung was born to a poor farming family and worked in a factory in his teen years to pay for night school, where he studied to be a human rights lawyer.
He first rose to political prominence in 2010, when he was elected Mayor of Seongnam.
His “rags-to-riches” storyline has formed a major part of his political campaigning and has contributed largely to his popularity.
However, Lee’s political career has been marked by scandal.
Presently, he awaits trial on charges of bribery in connection to a firm that is suspected of illicitly transferring 10.4 million won ($11,780) to North Korea.
He is accused of breaching his duty as Seongnam’s mayor, in regards to a loss of 20 billion won ($22 million) made by a city-owned company during his term as mayor.
The attacker has not been identified and his motive is still being investigated; the Busan Ilbo daily reports that he has refused to answer police questions.
Lee Jae-myung is recovering from surgery in an intensive care unit.
