Lee Jae-Myung.Photo:Lee Jae-Won/AFLO/ShutterstockSouth Korean Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck on Tuesday during a visit to the city of Busan, after a man asked for his autograph then lunged at him with a knife.CNNreports that Lee, 59, is now recovering in intensive care after undergoing surgery for his wounds, according to Democratic Party spokesperson Kwon Chil-seung, who told reporters Lee’s jugular vein had been damaged.The incident occurred as Lee — who narrowly lost South Korea’s 2022 presidential election — was speaking to journalists and supporters during a tour of a proposed new airport site,Reutersreports.Video footage taken during the attack shows a suspect wearing a paper crown with Lee’s name on it, approaching him and asking for an autograph before suddenly stabbing him in the neck. Lee then fell on the ground, with photographs showing him laying down as others pressed a handkerchief to his neck.Lee Jae-Myung.The Busan Daily News via Getty ImagesLee is the head of South Korea’s opposition party, and rose through the ranks of the country’s political establishment as a former factory worker-turned-human rights lawyer.The stabbing came as he iscurrently on trial for bribery charges, Reuters reports. Lee has denied the charges against him.In a statement, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol condemned the attack, saying, “This type of violence must never be tolerated under any circumstances.“Violence against South Korean political officials is nothing new, with Song Young-gil — who led the country’s Democratic party prior to Lee —injured in 2022after an assailant struck him in the head with a hammer.And in 2006, conservative opposition party leader Park Geun-hye — one of the most prominent women in South Korean politics who would go on to serve as the country’s president — was injured after beingslashed in the face.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.The attack also comes a year and a half afterShinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister,died after sustaining gunshot woundsduring a campaign speech in Nara, Japan,
Lee Jae-Myung.Photo:Lee Jae-Won/AFLO/Shutterstock
Lee Jae-Won/AFLO/Shutterstock
South Korean Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck on Tuesday during a visit to the city of Busan, after a man asked for his autograph then lunged at him with a knife.CNNreports that Lee, 59, is now recovering in intensive care after undergoing surgery for his wounds, according to Democratic Party spokesperson Kwon Chil-seung, who told reporters Lee’s jugular vein had been damaged.The incident occurred as Lee — who narrowly lost South Korea’s 2022 presidential election — was speaking to journalists and supporters during a tour of a proposed new airport site,Reutersreports.Video footage taken during the attack shows a suspect wearing a paper crown with Lee’s name on it, approaching him and asking for an autograph before suddenly stabbing him in the neck. Lee then fell on the ground, with photographs showing him laying down as others pressed a handkerchief to his neck.Lee Jae-Myung.The Busan Daily News via Getty ImagesLee is the head of South Korea’s opposition party, and rose through the ranks of the country’s political establishment as a former factory worker-turned-human rights lawyer.The stabbing came as he iscurrently on trial for bribery charges, Reuters reports. Lee has denied the charges against him.In a statement, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol condemned the attack, saying, “This type of violence must never be tolerated under any circumstances.“Violence against South Korean political officials is nothing new, with Song Young-gil — who led the country’s Democratic party prior to Lee —injured in 2022after an assailant struck him in the head with a hammer.And in 2006, conservative opposition party leader Park Geun-hye — one of the most prominent women in South Korean politics who would go on to serve as the country’s president — was injured after beingslashed in the face.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.The attack also comes a year and a half afterShinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister,died after sustaining gunshot woundsduring a campaign speech in Nara, Japan,
South Korean Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck on Tuesday during a visit to the city of Busan, after a man asked for his autograph then lunged at him with a knife.
CNNreports that Lee, 59, is now recovering in intensive care after undergoing surgery for his wounds, according to Democratic Party spokesperson Kwon Chil-seung, who told reporters Lee’s jugular vein had been damaged.
The incident occurred as Lee — who narrowly lost South Korea’s 2022 presidential election — was speaking to journalists and supporters during a tour of a proposed new airport site,Reutersreports.
Video footage taken during the attack shows a suspect wearing a paper crown with Lee’s name on it, approaching him and asking for an autograph before suddenly stabbing him in the neck. Lee then fell on the ground, with photographs showing him laying down as others pressed a handkerchief to his neck.
Lee Jae-Myung.The Busan Daily News via Getty Images
The Busan Daily News via Getty Images
Lee is the head of South Korea’s opposition party, and rose through the ranks of the country’s political establishment as a former factory worker-turned-human rights lawyer.
The stabbing came as he iscurrently on trial for bribery charges, Reuters reports. Lee has denied the charges against him.
In a statement, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol condemned the attack, saying, “This type of violence must never be tolerated under any circumstances.”
Violence against South Korean political officials is nothing new, with Song Young-gil — who led the country’s Democratic party prior to Lee —injured in 2022after an assailant struck him in the head with a hammer.
And in 2006, conservative opposition party leader Park Geun-hye — one of the most prominent women in South Korean politics who would go on to serve as the country’s president — was injured after beingslashed in the face.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
The attack also comes a year and a half afterShinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister,died after sustaining gunshot woundsduring a campaign speech in Nara, Japan,
source: people.com
