Former presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung was attacked during a visit to Busan
South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is seen after he was injured in Busan, South Korea, January 2, 2024 © Sohn Hyung-joo / Yonhap via AP
The chief of South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, was rushed to a hospital after an unidentified man stabbed him during a question and answer session with reporters on Tuesday morning.
The incident took place at 10:27am, when an unknown man approached Lee and stabbed him on the left side of his neck, the Yonhap news agency reported. The attacker was quickly subdued and arrested.
Multiple videos of the incident shared on social media showed Lee surrounded by a crowd of journalists before the man suddenly jumped at him with a knife.
BREAKING: South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung stabbed at press conference, current condition unknown pic.twitter.com/YjX6nKPeC1
— BNO News (@BNONews) January 2, 2024
Several photos making rounds online showed the politician lying on the ground with his eyes closed with people around him pressing a rag against his neck.
🚨🇰🇷 #BREAKING: South Korea's opposition leader, Lee Jae-Myung, has just been stabbed in the neck. pic.twitter.com/EaXmzfapiY
— Censored Men (@CensoredMen) January 2, 2024
The victim’s condition was not immediately clear. According to Yonhap, Lee remained conscious, but the bleeding continued as he was transferred to a hospital some 20 minutes after the attack.
Lee Jae-myung, 59, lost South Korea’s 2022 elections to President Yoon Suk-yeol by a small margin of 0.73%, and is widely expected to run again in 2027.
President Yoon expressed deep concern over Lee’s safety, stressing that such violence should not be tolerated under any circumstances, according to his spokesperson.
