The chief of South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, was rushed to a hospital after an unidentified man stabbed him during a question and answer session with reporters on Tuesday morning.
The incident took place at 10:27am, when an unknown man approached Lee and stabbed him on the left side of his neck, the Yonhap news agency reported. The attacker was quickly subdued and arrested.
Multiple videos of the incident shared on social media showed Lee surrounded by a crowd of journalists before the man suddenly jumped at him with a knife.
Several photos making rounds online showed the politician lying on the ground with his eyes closed with people around him pressing a rag against his neck.
The victim’s condition was not immediately clear. According to Yonhap, Lee remained conscious, but the bleeding continued as he was transferred to a hospital some 20 minutes after the attack.
Lee Jae-myung, 59, lost South Korea’s 2022 elections to President Yoon Suk-yeol by a small margin of 0.73%, and is widely expected to run again in 2027.
President Yoon expressed deep concern over Lee’s safety, stressing that such violence should not be tolerated under any circumstances, according to his spokesperson.
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