On Tuesday, the leader of South Korea‘s Democrat Party was stabbed in the neck during a visit to a proposed airport site.
Lee Jae-myung, who leads South Korea's main opposition party, is reportedly conscious and was airlifted to the Pusan National University Hospital, a party official and a fire department official told Reuters.
The attack left a gash in Lee's neck that is about 1 cm long, according to YTN television.
The suspected attacker appeared to be a man in his 50s or 60s who wore a paper crown with Lee's name printed on it, news photographs showed. He approached Lee asking for an autograph among a crowd of supporters before he lunged forward and attacked, video footage showed. The assailant was quickly subdued and arrested at the scene.
According to Fox News, President Yoon Suk Yeol condemned the attack, calling it unacceptable, according to his office. The president expressed deep concern for Lee and asked for him to receive the best care, so he could make a speedy recovery.
Lee, a former governor of Gyeonggi province, narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election to the conservative Yoon, a former chief prosecutor. Lee has led the main opposition party since August 2022.
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