South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was attacked during the politician’s visit to the southeastern port city of Busan on Tuesday, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency (YNA).
The head of the main opposition Democratic Party was stabbed during a question-and-answer session with reporters following a tour of a construction site for a new airport on Busan’s Gadeok Island. His attacker was arrested at the scene.
Authorities said the suspect, surnamed Kim, 65, confessed that he intended to kill Lee and will be charged with attempted murder, YNA reported.
Lee was conscious, but bleeding, when he was taken to the hospital 20 minutes after the attack. Videos showing the moment Lee, surrounded by reporters, was stabbed on the left side of his neck are circulating on social media platforms.
After emergency treatment at Pusan National University Hospital, Lee was airlifted to Seoul National University Hospital for surgery. Lee’s progress is being closely monitored following the surgery, the South Korean Democratic Party said Tuesday.
“It took longer than expected and we are closely following his progress,” the party said.
“We strongly condemn the act of political terror against Lee,” the Democratic Party added.
An officer with the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency said an investigation into the attacker’s motive is underway, and authorities are investigating whether Kim identifies with any political party.
The suspect was also seen near the site of an event in Busan that Lee attended last month, according to YNA.
A spokesperson for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol of the conservative People Power Party said the leader expressed concern for his political opponent’s safety, according to YNA.
Yoon defeated Lee in a 2022 presidential race by a narrow margin, in one of the country’s most closely fought presidential elections, 48.6 percent to 47.8 percent.
Before the election, Lee had served as governor of the Gyeonggi Province, the most-populated South Korean state.
–Updated on Jan. 2 at 11:07 a.m.