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Democratic Party Chairman Lee Jae-myung lies down after being stabbed in the neck. Photo/AP/yonhap
SEOUL – Chairman of the Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, was rushed to hospital after an unknown man stabbed him during a question and answer session with journalists on Tuesday morning (2/1/2024).
The Democratic Party is the main opposition of South Korea (South Korea). “The incident occurred at 10:27 am, when an unknown man approached Lee and stabbed him in the left side of the neck,” Yonhap news agency reported.
The attacker was quickly subdued and arrested. Several videos of the incident shared on social media show Lee surrounded by a crowd of journalists before the man suddenly jumps at him with a knife.
Several photos circulating online show the politician lying on the ground with his eyes closed and people around him holding a cloth to his neck.
The condition of the victim is not yet known for certain. According to Yonhap, Lee remained conscious, but bleeding continued until he was transferred to hospital about 20 minutes after the attack.
Lee Jae-myung, 59, lost South Korea’s 2022 election to President Yoon Suk-yeol by a small margin of 0.73%, and is expected to run again in 2027.
President Yoon expressed deep concern for Lee’s safety, stressing such violence should not be tolerated under any circumstances, according to his spokesman.
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