South Korea's opposition leader stabbed in the neck during Busan visit, officials report.Lee Jae-myung, South Korea’s Democratic Party Chairman, stabbed; injury not life-threatening, conscious with minimal blood loss, police say.Lee Jae-myung airlifted to Seoul National University Hospital after knife attack, recovering in ICU post-surgery, party reports.Male suspect in 60s from south Choongchung province in custody, Busan Police confirm in briefing.
Police to investigate suspect on "attempted murder" charges; he confessed to trying to kill Lee. The suspect approached Lee for an autograph and stabbed him in the neck with a 7-inch knife. Lee's security immediately restrained the attacker. Police plan to request an official arrest for alleged attempted murder.
Photos depict Lee on the ground surrounded, with someone applying pressure to his neck. Another image shows him on a stretcher with a neck brace. The police official mentioned the wound as less than half an inch long. Democratic Party spokesperson Kwon Chil-seung states doctors suspect jugular vein damage in a briefing. He condemns the act as terrorism and an attempt to undermine democracy.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol orders a thorough investigation into the attack on Lee Jae-myung, ensuring he receives the best care, a presidential spokesperson confirms. Yoon emphasizes zero tolerance for violence under any circumstances. The attack occurred at a new airport construction site in Busan, according to emergency officials. The unidentified suspect's details remain undisclosed. Lee, who narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election, faces corruption allegations, denying legal wrongdoing and accusing Yoon's government of a political vendetta. Lee's predecessor, Song Young-gil, was attacked in 2022, and in 2015, U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert faced a knife attack. Conservative leader Park Geun-hye, a former president, was stabbed in 2006 and later sentenced over a corruption scandal.
