South Korea: The opposition leader, Mr. Lee Jae-myung, of South Korea, was stabbed in the neck while visiting Busan. The city’s emergency office stated that he was attacked while touring a new airport’s construction site.
Mr. Lee, the leader of the major opposition Democratic Party, was said to be conscious, though it is unclear exactly how he is feeling. According to a party official, he was brought to a university hospital in the area.
As the politician was being asked for an autograph, an unknown man charged at her, brandishing what appeared to be a knife, as per South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
On YTN television, Mr. Lee was seen writhing in pain and falling to the ground. In other pictures, someone was applying a handkerchief to the side of his neck. Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol defeated Lee in the 2022 presidential contest by a slim margin.
The leader is presently on trial for alleged bribery connected to a development project while serving as mayor of Seongnam, a city close to Seoul, which he denies.
The liberal is renowned for his outspoken manner. While some see him as a populist who incites conflict and demonises conservative opponents, others see him as an anti-elitist crusader.
Mr. Yoon called for an urgent and comprehensive investigation and voiced “deep concern” over the attack on Mr. Lee.
Despite South Korea’s strict gun laws, politicians have been attacked with other weapons. In 2022, Mr. Song Young-gil, Mr. Lee’s predecessor, was attacked with a blunt object during a public event.