An unidentified man attacked Lee Jae-myung, South Korean opposition leader, during the politician’s visit to southeastern port city Busan on Tuesday, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency (YNA).
Lee was conscious, but bleeding, when he was taken to the hospital 20 minutes after the attack. Videos showing the moment Lee, surrounded by reporters, was stabbed on the left side of his neck with an unidentified weapon, are circulating on social media platforms.
The head of the main opposition Democratic Party was in a question-and-answer session with reporters following a tour of a construction site for a new airport on Busan’s Gadeok Island. His attacker was arrested at the scene.
A spokesperson for Lee’s former political opponent, President Yoon Suk Yeol of the conservative People Power Party, said the South Korean leader expressed concern for Lee’s safety and ordered relevant authorities to quickly transport and get treatment for Lee, according to YNA.
Yoon defeated Lee in a 2022 presidential race by a narrow margin, in one of the country’s most closely-fought presidential elections. Lee took home 47.8 percent of the vote to Yoon’s 48.6.
Before the election, Lee had served as governor of the Gyeonggi Province, the most largely-populated South Korean state.
This is a developing story. More updates will be provided as they become available.
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