Leader of the Opposition Party in South Korea Attacked with a Knife

Officials from the opposition Democratic Party in South Korea and emergency responders stated that "Lee Jae-myung," the leader of this party, was attacked on Tuesday, January 2, while visiting the city of "Busan" in southern South Korea, and sustained a neck injury from a knife wound. According to Reuters, the leader of the Democratic Party of South Korea received emergency treatment on-site and was transferred by helicopter to Seoul, the capital of the country. Video footage shows the assailant approaching Mr. Lee, who was speaking with his supporters and journalists, asking for an autograph, but suddenly attacked him. The assailant was immediately subdued by police officers and party officials. Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost the South Korean presidential election in 2022, underwent surgery on his neck after being transferred to Seoul. Reuters reported that he was hospitalized in the intensive care unit following the surgery. A spokesperson for the Democratic Party condemned the attack as "political terrorism." This attack occurred about three months before parliamentary elections in South Korea. According to the report, Yoon Suk-yeol, the President of South Korea, also condemned the attack, stating through his office that such violence should not be tolerated under any circumstances. A police official in Busan told reporters that the assailant, who is 66 years old, attacked Mr. Lee with an 18-centimeter knife. He did not disclose the identity of the arrested attacker and only mentioned that an investigation into the motive for the attack is underway. Reuters noted that Mr. Lee has been on trial for bribery related to a construction project, but he has denied the charges.