Lee Jae-myung, the leader of South Korea’s main opposition party, was stabbed in the neck on January 2, 2024, during a visit to the port city of Busan.
The attacker, a 66-year-old man, lunged forward to stab the politician with an 18cm (7in) knife which he had bought online. The brazen daytime attack shocked the nation and prompted condemnation from political parties and politicians, including current President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Mr Lee was addressing reporters at a news conference during a visit to a construction site in the port of Busan when the attacker approached him to ask for an autograph.
Videos posted on social media show Mr Lee first collapsing into the crowd and then onto the ground while several people try to restrain the attacker. Photographs after the incident show Mr Lee lying on the floor with his eyes closed as someone presses a handkerchief to the side of his neck.
Mr Lee, who narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election, sustained a 1cm laceration on the left side of his neck. He was airlifted to the hospital, and medical staff said his injuries were not life-threatening. A spokesman for Mr. Lee’s party said medical staff suspected an injury to his jugular vein, which carries blood from the head to the heart. Mr Lee would have to undergo surgery “quickly” as they were concerned about further bleeding.
The motive for the attack is unclear, but the 66-year-old man who attacked him said he had intended to kill Mr Lee. Prosecutors plan to bring attempted murder charges against the man. The attack is seen as “a clear act of democracy destruction,” according to Mr Lee’s party spokesman.
South Korea’s crime rate is generally low, although the country saw a rise in mass stabbing attacks last year. The government has strict regulations around possessing guns and other weapons, and most public figures are not usually under tight security protection.
There have been several previous cases of South Korean politicians being physically attacked with weapons. In March 2022, Mr Lee’s predecessor as Democratic Party leader, Song Young-Gil, was assaulted with a blunt object while campaigning for Mr Lee.
He sustained a laceration. In 2006, conservative party leader Park Geun-Hye, who later became president, was attacked with a knife, which left a scar on her face. In 1979, her father, Park Chung-hee, who was president for 16 years, was shot and killed by his spy chief at a private dinner.
