Lee Jae-myung, the main opposition leader in South Korea, was attacked on January 2 during a press conference, and the incident was captured in a video. Please be advised that the video contains distressing content. He was subsequently taken to the hospital after the assailant wounded him on the left side of his neck, as reported by Al-Jazeera.
His current condition is unclear.
The Yonhap News Agency, a South Korean news outlet, reported that the opposition leader was assaulted “during his visit to the southeastern port city of Busan.” He is the head of the Democratic Party of South Korea.
The Korea Herald referred to Jae-myung as a “top presidential contender” who rose from a poor factory worker to become one of the most influential figures in South Korean politics. He previously served as the governor of Gyeonggi Province.
The suspect has been arrested, and Al-Jazeera reported that the attack occurred during a question-and-answer session with the media.
Jae-myung, who narrowly lost the presidential election in 2022, was also expected to run for a seat in the legislature soon. His motive and the identity of the assailant remain unclear.
Described as a “technocrat with hardscrabble origins” by The New York Times, Jae-myung, born into a poor farmer’s family, worked in a factory before pursuing a legal career and eventually entering politics. Some of his policies, such as creating a social welfare program for Seongnam and banning dog meat at a Korean market, have been controversial.
This incident is reminiscent of the attack on former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022, where Abe was shot on the street during a speech and later succumbed to his injuries. Please note that the content of the video is disturbing
