(NationRise.com) – South Korea’s opposition leader, Lee Jae-Myung, was stabbed in the neck on January 2 during a visit to Busan. Lee, who is the chief of the South Korean Democratic Party, was viciously attacked by an unidentified man when he was touring the site of a proposed airport. The country’s Yonhap news agency pointed out that the knife attack left the opposition leader with a gash of one centimeter on his neck. It also noted that the attacker was in his 50s or 60s and was wearing a paper crown with the politician’s name on it.
The politician, who narrowly lost the South Korean presidential elections in 2022, was immediately transported to a nearby university hospital after the incident. A fire department official revealed that Lee was “conscious.”
In the incident’s video, which immediately became viral, the attacker can be seen approaching the opposition leader while asking for his autograph. When he was near, he aggressively lunged forward and attacked Lee with his knife. The attacker was immediately subdued by Lee’s security personnel and arrested.
Following the incident, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said during a televised speech that he strongly condemns the attack while noting that it was an unacceptable act. He also claimed that all South Koreans should reject all forms of political violence, expressing deep concerns for the opposition leader. At the end of his speech, Yoon asked the university hospital to provide the best care for Lee so he could recover “as soon as possible.”
As reported by some media outlets, the Democratic Party chief is currently on trial for a bribery case stemming from a development project when he was the mayor of the Seongnam province, near the capital city of Seoul. The opposition leader has denied any wrongdoing and has claimed that the allegations against him are nothing more than a “political conspiracy” to end his career.
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