The stab wound in the neck received today by Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main opposition party in South Korea, does not raise fear for his life, said sources from his formation, the liberal Democratic Party (PD). cited by the Yonhap agency.
However, there is concern about the possibility that Lee, 59, could suffer new hemorrhages, the aforementioned sources indicated.
Attacked during an event with journalists
Lee was attacked at 10:27 local time (1:27 GMT) during an event with journalists on the land that will house the new Busan airport (about 350 kilometers southeast of Seoul) when a man, wearing a crown that read “I am Lee Jae-myung,” he pounced on the leader of the main South Korean opposition bloc and stabbed him in the left side of the neck.
The man stuck an object that has not yet been identified and that would have a length of between 20 and 30 centimeters, causing an incised wound of approximately one centimeter.
Lee collapsed instantly and members of his party were responsible for covering the wound while the ambulance arrived and took him to the Pusan National University Hospital.
The perpetrator of the attack, a man between 60 and 70 years old, was arrested on the spot but has not yet revealed the motivation behind his actions, according to the Gangseo district police in Busan.
Intervened in hospital
After receiving emergency care in Busan, Lee was transferred by helicopter to the capital to undergo surgery at Seoul National University Hospital for the significant damage suffered to the jugular.
Lee’s health status poses a new mystery for the PD ahead of the legislative elections next April.
In recent weeks, doubts have been raised about whether Lee would make it to the elections as opposition leader in the face of internal pressure demanding that he resign due to ongoing investigations into his alleged involvement in corruption schemes when he was mayor of Seongnam. city on the outskirts of Seoul, and governor of Gyeonggi, the most populated province in the country.
By Nadeem Faisal Baiga
