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Attempted assassination of Lee Jae-myung

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On 2 January 2024, Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed while visiting the construction site of an airport in Gadeokdo, Busan.[5] Hospitalized at Pusan National University twenty minutes after the attack, Lee was subsequently transferred by helicopter to Seoul National University Hospital in a conscious state.[6][3] The suspect was arrested at the scene and said his intentions were to assassinate Lee.[2]

Attempted assassination of Lee Jae-myung
Lee speaking on 2 January 2024, shortly before the attack
LocationGadeokdo, Busan, South Korea
Date2 January 2024 (2024-01-02)
10:27 a.m. KST[1]
Attack type
WeaponsKnife[3]
InjuredLee Jae-myung
AccusedKim Jin-sung[4]

Background

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Political violence has occurred several times before in South Korea.[7] In 2006, then-Grand National Party leader Park Geun-hye was attacked with a knife at an event, while her father Park Chung Hee was assassinated by his spy chief in 1979.[8] In 2015, U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark W. Lippert survived a stabbing attack while attending a breakfast conference in Seoul.[9] In 2022, then-Democratic Party of Korea leader Song Young-gil was attacked with a hammer.[10]

In 2022, Lee narrowly lost to Yoon Suk-yeol[11][10] in the closest presidential election in South Korean history.[12]

On 7 May 2022, Lee declared his candidacy in the June 2022 South Korean by-elections running for Incheon Gyeyang District B vacant seat in the National Assembly.[13] Lee won the seat in the elections on 1 June 2022. Afterwards, he was elected as the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea on 28 August.[14]

At the time of the attack, Lee was being prosecuted for corruption, accusations which he denied and said were politically motivated.[15] The attack took place nearly three months before the 2024 legislative election.[3]

Attack

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Seoul National University Hospital where Lee was transferred to from Busan and underwent surgery

On 2 January, Lee was holding a press conference at Gadeokdo New Airport.[16] At 10:27 a.m. KST,[1] an individual approached Lee and asked for an autograph before stabbing him on the left side of his neck.[8] Officials at the scene immediately shielded Lee, and one of them covered his neck with a cloth. It was reported that Lee was bleeding but remained conscious.[11] Lee was taken to an ambulance at 10:47 a.m. and arrived at the regional trauma center at Pusan National University Hospital at 11:16 a.m.[17] He was subsequently transferred by helicopter to Seoul National University Hospital in a conscious state.[6][3]

It was reported that Lee suffered a one-centimeter cut to his neck, with minor bleeding.[18] Medical officials at Pusan National University Hospital said that Lee sustained damage to his jugular vein, and were concerned about additional massive bleeding.[3]

Lee underwent emergency surgery at Seoul National University Hospital later in the day.[19][3][2] Democratic Party officials said that the surgery "took longer than expected" and medical officials were closely monitoring his progress.[2]

The event was recorded live, with video footage of the attack airing on South Korean broadcast stations.[19]

A witness said more than a dozen police officers were present at the moment of the attack.[20]

Suspect

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A male[21] suspect, Kim Jin-sung, a real estate dealer[4] who was wearing a paper crown reading "I'm Lee Jae-myung" and was carrying a sign that said "200 seats at the National Assembly",[3][22] was promptly arrested.[23] He was reported to have been born in 1957.[2] In December 2023, he had attended an event where Lee headlined in Busan, with video footage showing the suspect waiting for Lee but being unable to make close contact.[2] The suspect was wearing the same paper crown.[2] At a press conference, police stated that the suspect had bought his weapon online.[16] The weapon used was described as an 18-centimeter-long knife.[3][2] Democratic Party spokesman Kwon Chil-seung said during a briefing that the attacker was believed to have used a sashimi knife.[19] One media outlet reported that he refused to answer questions about his motives.[6] Police obtained a warrant and searched his home.[24] The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency said it planned to charge Kim with attempted murder, as he confessed he intended to kill Lee.[2]

Reactions

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President Yoon Suk Yeol stated that the stabbing was an "act of terror... and a serious threat to democracy" and ordered authorities to launch an investigation into the attack.[16][10] Democratic Party spokesman Kwon Chil-seung stated, "This incident is a terror attack on Representative Lee Jae-myung and a serious threat to democracy that should not happen under any circumstances."[19]

Yoon Hee-keun, Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, announced the formation of a special investigation team in Busan to conduct an inquiry into the attack.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Han-joo, Kim (2 January 2024). "Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung attacked during visit to Busan". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Attacked opposition leader Lee's surgery completed, progress closely monitored". Yonhap News English. 2 January 2024. Archived from the original on 3 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Head of South Korean Opposition Party Is Stabbed". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024 – via MSN.
  4. ^ a b Sae-jin, Park (3 January 2024). "Democratic Party to hold emergency meeting to discuss attack on leader Lee Jae-myung". Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  5. ^ Sang-Hun, Choe (1 January 2024). "South Korean Opposition Leader Is Stabbed". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "South Korea opposition chief stabbed, condition not life-threatening". The Jerusalem Post. 2 January 2024. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  7. ^ "South Korea's recent history of political violence". Reuters. 2 January 2024. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024.
  8. ^ a b "South Korea opposition chief stabbed in neck". Reuters. 1 January 2024. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  9. ^ Choe Sang-hun & Michael D. Shear, U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Is Hospitalized After Knife Attack Archived 27 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine, New York Times, March 4, 2015.
  10. ^ a b c Kim, Hyung-Jin; Jiwon, Song (2 January 2024). "South Korean opposition leader is stabbed in the neck by a knife-wielding man". AP News. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  11. ^ a b "South Korean opposition leader stabbed in neck, rushed to hospital". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  12. ^ Ng, Kelly (2 January 2024). "Lee Jae-myung: South Korea opposition leader stabbed in neck on visit to Busan". Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  13. ^ Lee, Haye-ah (8 May 2022). "(LEAD) Lee Jae-myung declares bid for parliamentary seat in Incheon". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  14. ^ Lee, Minji (28 August 2022). "(2nd LD) Ex-presidential candidate Lee elected DP's new leader". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  15. ^ "South Korean political opposition leader Lee Jae-myung stabbed in neck in Busan". CBS News. 2 January 2024. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  16. ^ a b c Cho, Joohee; Lee, Hakyung Kate (2 January 2024). "South Korean opposition leader stabbed, rushed to hospital". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  17. ^ Oh, Soo-hee; Park, Gyeong-jun; Han, Joo-hong; Geun-ho, Cha (2 January 2024). "이재명, 부산서 흉기 피습…의식있는 상태서 병원 이송" [Lee Jae-myung, attacked with a weapon in Busan...transported to hospital in conscious state] (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  18. ^ "South Korea opposition leader Lee Jae-myung stabbed". The Guardian. 2 January 2024. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  19. ^ a b c d "South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung stabbed during event in Busan". The Washington Post. 2 January 2024. Archived from the original on 3 January 2024.
  20. ^ Park, Ju-min; Shin, Hyonhee (2 January 2024). "South Korea opposition chief stabbed in neck, in intensive care". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  21. ^ Blair, Gavin (2 January 2024). "South Korea opposition leader Lee Jae-myung stabbed in the neck". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  22. ^ "South Korean opposition leader stabbed in neck, airlifted to hospital". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  23. ^ "South Korean opposition leader stabbed in the neck during press conference". ABC News. 2 January 2024. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  24. ^ "Police Search Home, Offices of Suspected Attacker of South Korean Opposition Leader". Voice of America. 3 January 2024. Archived from the original on 3 January 2024. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
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