DP chief Lee Jae-myung stabbed by 67-year-old alleged supporter

Politics

Published: 02 Jan. 2024, 15:56 Updated: 04 Jan. 2024, 15:27

DP chief Lee Jae-myung stabbed by 67-year-old alleged supporter

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung taken into the Seoul National University Hospital in Seoul on Tusesday after he was transffered from Busan. Lee was attacked by a 67 year-old with an 18-centimeter knife he bought off the internet. [YONHAP]

Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed during his visit to the site of the new international airport on Gadeok Island in Busan on Tuesday.

A 67-year-old man wearing a blue paper crown with Lee’s name imprinted stabbed the DP leader in the neck with an 18-centimeter-long (7-inch) knife at 10:29 a.m.

The man — only identified by his surname of Kim — is a South Chungcheong resident. He later admitted to the police that he attacked the DP chief with the intention of killing him.

According to witness accounts, the man approached the DP chief as a party supporter while carrying a sign that read “200 [DP] seats at the National Assembly.”

The assailant allegedly attacked the DP chief after his request for Lee to sign an autograph was denied.

Lee was stabbed on the left side of his neck and was rushed to the emergency room at Pusan National University Hospital.

Lee was loaded into an ambulance at 10:47 a.m. and later taken to Pusan National University Hospital by helicopter, arriving at 11:13 a.m.

According to emergency authorities, Lee suffered a 1-centimeter (0.4 inches) cut on his neck.

However, Lee was transferred to Seoul National University Hospital from Pusan National University Hospital at 1 p.m. due to concerns about potential additional hemorrhages from the earlier attack in the day.

“We suspect the patient may have suffered injuries to the jugular vein,” said Kwon Chil-seung, the party’s spokesman.

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung disembarked from the helicopter that arrived from Busan upon landing at the pad on Nodeul Island in Yongsan, Seoul, on Tuesday. Lee was transferred to the Seoul National University Hospital after he was attacked. [YONHAP]

Although 41 police officers were present at the scene, they were unable to prevent the attack from occurring.

The police were primarily stationed to control the crowd and manage traffic.

“We will enhance the personal protection of key officials,” said Yoon Hee-keun, the commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency.

The police immediately apprehended the assailant.

The police said they plan to charge the person with attempted murder.

President Yoon Suk Yeol and other prominent political figures have condemned the knife attack against Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday.

In a statement, Yoon said no violent act should be tolerated in society, regardless of the motive.

Yoon shared his concern for Lee and instructed the police and authorities to investigate the matter thoroughly.

He also ordered full support for Lee's medical treatment.

Han Dong-hoon, the head of the People Power Party (PPP), also condemned the attack, saying that such violent acts should never occur in society.

He said he hopes for Lee's fast recovery and a swift and rigorous investigation to hold those responsible accountable.

“To consider the attack as if it had happened to oneself is something that a sophisticated party like our People Power Party and sophisticated citizens could extend to a fellow citizen,” Han said. “Our society is more advanced than this.”

He emphasized that Korea is a nation whose democracy cannot be undermined by a handful of individuals like the assailant.

“We are a country guided by a constitution that upholds liberal democracy,” Han said.

“Regardless of our political affiliations, we, as a unified whole, must remain steadfast and express our hopes for the swift recovery of our political adversary.

Simultaneously, we should seek the truth and demand accountability when an unimaginable event transpires to safeguard our cherished democracy.”

The DP called the attack a “terrorist attack against Lee” and a threat to democracy.

The DP floor leader, Hong Ihk-pyo, told DP lawmakers not to be stirred up by the latest incident.

He said he would hold an emergency meeting to inform them of Lee’s condition.

Lee Jun-seok, the former head of the PPP who left the party on Wednesday, said on Facebook that those resorting to violent acts against others based on differing opinions should never be forgiven.

Lee Nak-yon, the former DP leader and a political rival to Lee within the party, expressed his outrage over the attack and strongly condemned the violence as a threat to democracy.

“Violence can never be tolerated,” Lee Nak-yon said. “The suspect arrested on the scene should undergo a thorough investigation and face punishment to ensure that such acts of violence are never repeated.”

In 2021, Lee Nak-yon competed against Lee Jae-myung in the party's presidential candidate primaries.

However, more recently, Lee Nak-yon has called for Lee Jae-myung to step down as the party leader. He said he would form his political party if his demands were unmet.

A man in blue paper crown approaches Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung at Gadeok Island in Busan on Tuesday. [YOUTUBE CAPTURE]

Since the attack, online communities have shared pictures of a man wearing the same blue paper crown following Lee around.

The most recent one was taken on Dec. 13 when the man was among a crowd standing in front of Lee’s van in Busan.

The assailant on Tuesday was also in front of Lee’s van when the DP chief was walking.

The police said that they are looking into all possibilities, including the potential of a deliberate attack.

The attack on the politician happened less than 100 days before the parliamentary election in April.

On Tuesday, Lee was scheduled to meet former President Moon Jae-in at his residence in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang, later in the same afternoon.

Lee reportedly was visiting Moon to confirm the former president’s support in his conflict with Lee Nak-yon.

On Jan. 1, Lee visited the memorials of President Kim Dae-jung and President Roh Moo-hyun, considered iconic liberal presidents.

Former President Park Geun-hye was attacked with a box cutter while attending a rally for a local government election in 2006 when she was the leader of the conservative party.

She suffered an 11-centimeter-long cut on her right cheek.

Former DP leader Song Young-gil was struck with a blunt object by a YouTuber, suspected to be a supporter of the party, during the presidential campaign in March 2022.

The YouTuber demanded that the party officially announce the ending of the war between the two Koreas after the attack on Song.

Then-U. S. Ambassador to Korea Mark Lippert was attacked by a pro-unification activist in his 50s with a knife on May 5, 2015.

The U.S. ambassador suffered an 11-centimeter-long and 3-centimeter-deep cut to his face.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]