Lee Jae-myung, the main opposition leader in South Korea was stabbed January 2 during a press conference in a graphic scene captured on video.
You can see the video later in this story, but be forewarned that it’s disturbing. He was taken to the hospital after the assailant wounded him on the left side of his neck, according to Al-Jazeera.
His condition is not clear.
According to the Yonhap News Agency, a South Korean news outlet, the opposition leader was attacked “during his visit to the southeastern port city of Busan.” He heads the Democratic Party of South Korea, according to Yonhap.
The Korea Herald described Jae-myung as a “top presidential contender” who “went from poor factory worker to one of the most influential figures in South Korean politics.” He was the governor of Gyeonggi Province, according to Korea Herald. The Korea Herald also described Jae-myung as “one of the most influential figures in Korean politics.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Lee Jae-myung Was Stabbed While Touring the Construction Site of a New Airport, Reports Say
The video shows Jae-myung surrounded by a gaggle of television reporters and camera operators before a person rushes forward and appears to stab him multiple times in close proximity.
A second video also emerged that shows the stabbing from a slightly different angle.
Several people in the crowd then appear to be trying to give the politician aid as he is lying on the ground. According to Yonhap, Jae-myung was attacked while touring “the construction site of a new airport on Busan’s Gadeok Island.”
The site reported that the suspect is under arrest. Al-Jazeera reported that the politician was stabbed during a question-and-answer session with the news media.
The Opposition Leader Narrowly Lost a Presidential Race in South Korea in 2022
The suspect’s motive and identity are not clear. Graphic photos also emerged showing the wounded politician lying on the ground.
According to BBC, Jae-myung “narrowly lost” the presidential election in 2022. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol claimed victory with a margin of only 0.73% in that race, BBC reported. BBC reported that Jae-myung was also expected to run for a seat in the legislature soon.
The New York Times referred to the opposite leader as “a technocrat with hardscrabble origins.” According to Korea Herald, “Lee is the fifth of seven children born into a poor farmer’s family in 1964 in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province” and worked in a factory himself at first. He went to law school and worked as a labor rights attorney before going into politics, the site reported.
Some of his approaches have been controversial, according to Korea Herald. For example, he created “a social welfare program exclusively for Seongnam” and banned dog meat at a Korean market.
The stabbing is somewhat reminiscent of the attack that killed former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot on the street in 2022, in a disturbing scene also captured on video. Here is that video:
NHK is broadcasting the moment that Japanese Former PM Shinzo Abe was shot from behind. Video does not show the shooter, just the puff of smoke.
Abe later died of his wounds. Abe was giving a speech when he was shot.
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