Unraveling the Mystery :South Korean Opposition Leader Stabbed
Leader of the opposition Democratic Party of South Korea, Lee Jae-myung, was airlifted to Seoul on Tuesday after undergoing emergency treatment for a stab wound to the neck sustained during a visit to the southern city of Busan, according to party and emergency officials.
Lee, who lost the 2022 presidential race by a slim margin, was attacked by a guy when he was circulating among reporters and fans at a public event. He was conscious and taken to Seoul National University Hospital in the nation’s capital.
The transfer to Seoul was made possible, according to a representative of the Pusan National University Hospital, where Lee initially sought emergency care. Based on preliminary treatment and a CT scan, medical staff had concluded that Lee’s condition was not life-threatening.
Speaking outside the hospital shortly after Lee was transported by helicopter, party spokesperson Kwon Chil-seung stated that medical personnel suspected damage to a jugular vein, which supplies blood from the head to the heart.
“There is concern that there could be large haemorrhage or additional haemorrhage, according to medical staff,” Kwon stated.
The attacker’s swift attack, captured on camera and in pictures, happened when Lee was visiting the location of a planned airport in Busan.
As Lee was speaking to a crowd of reporters and admirers, the man came up wearing a paper crown with his name on it and requested for an autograph. He immediately jumped forward and attacked him, video footage showed.
Son Je-han, a Busan police official, stated at a press conference that the attacker was born in 1957 and that he used an 18-cm knife that he purchased online. He stated the motivation was being looked into but did not name the suspect.
According to the local media, the attacker will face charges of attempted murder from the police.
The man was seen on television and in a video clip posted on the social media platform X stabbing Lee in the neck while extending his arm; the power of the blow forced Lee to retreat into the mob behind him .Lee winced and fell to the floor.
Images from the news showed Lee bleeding and lying on the ground with his eyes closed, as onlookers held a cloth to his neck.
Over two dozen police officers were in attendance, according to Jin Jeong-hwa, a fan of Lee who was livestreaming the event.
The video demonstrated how party officials and police personnel swiftly neutralized the attacker.
THE PRESIDENT DENOUNCES ATTACK
According to his office, President Yoon Suk Yeol denounced the attack and gave the order to provide the greatest care.
Yoon was cited by his office as saying, “This type of violence must never be tolerated under any circumstances.”
In the 2022 presidential contest, conservative Yoon, a former chief prosecutor, narrowly defeated former Gyeonggi province governor Lee. Since August 2022, he has served as the head of the main opposition party.
Currently, Lee is on trial for suspected bribery related to a development project that he oversaw as mayor of Seongnam, a city close to Seoul. He has refuted any misconduct.
The upcoming parliamentary elections in South Korea are scheduled for April.
Despite having severe gun control laws, South Korea has a history of political unrest. While police are always present at significant events, close security protection is not typically provided for political leaders.
In 2022, Song Young-gil, Lee’s predecessor, was attacked in a public setting by an attacker who struck his head with a blunt weapon, cutting him.
Then, in 2006, Park Geun-hye, the head of the conservative opposition party and future president, was stabbed during an event, requiring surgery to repair a gash on her face.
At a drunken private dinner in 1979, Park Chung-hee, her father, was shot and killed by his intelligence chief. Park Chung-hee had been president for 16 years following a military coup.
When attending a public event in 2015, Mark Lippert, the U.S. ambassador to South Korea at the time, was attacked by an attacker and sustained a huge gash on his face.
