Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed during a public appearance on Tuesday. Pictures of him on the ground covering his neck sent shockwaves through Korea.

WHO IS LEE JAE-MYUNG?

Lee, 59 years old, is currently the leader of the Democratic Party (DP), the main opposition party in Korea.

Lee and the current President Yoon Suk-yeol competed in an extremely tight 2022 presidential election, with Lee ultimately losing by just 0.73 percentage points.

It is considered highly likely that Lee will run again in the next presidential election, and he currently polls at the top of the three most popular candidates expected to run for presidency. The other two candidates are Han Dong-hoon, the interim leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), and Hong Joon-pyo, head of the Liberty Korea Party.

WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED? 🔍

Lee was stabbed during a visit to the site of a new international airport being built on Gadeok Island in Busan on Tuesday at 10:27 a.m.

He was stabbed on the left side of his neck and suffered a 1.4-centimeter (0.55-inch) laceration, according to the emergency team. He was rushed to the emergency room at Pusan National University Hospital and later transferred to Seoul National University Hospital at 1 p.m. due to concerns about potential additional hemorrhages.

Is Lee okay?

The surgeons operated on Lee’s jugular vein and the surgery reportedly went well.  He has been moved from the intensive care unit to the general ward and is now recovering.

On Thursday, Min Seung-kee, the surgeon who operated on Lee, told reporters during a press briefing that the knife “penetrated the neck muscle and sliced around 60 percent of the vein inside,” resulting in a significant amount of blood clotting.

However, the surgeon said there was no damage to the brachial artery, surrounding nerves, esophagus or airway.

WHO IS THE ASSAILANT?

The alleged attacker is a 67-year-old man from South Chungcheong, currently only identified by his surname Kim. Pictures of him wearing a blue paper crown have spread widely online, and he was said to be carrying a sign that read "200 [DP] seats at the National Assembly.”

He used an 18-centimeter (7-inch) knife that he bought off the internet.  ️

The alleged attacker is thought to have followed Lee around before Tuesday’s incident, with photos shared online of a man wearing what appears to be the same blue paper crown at other events.  The most recent one was taken on Dec. 13 when the man was among a crowd standing in front of Lee’s van in Busan.

What sparked the attack?

The man allegedly attacked the DP chief after his request for an autograph was denied.

There were 41 police officers present at the scene, primarily stationed for crowd control and traffic management, yet they were unable to prevent the attack from occurring. 🚓

The police immediately apprehended the alleged assailant, who later admitted that he attacked the DP chief with the intention of killing him. 

On Wednesday, Police officers raided a residence and real estate agency in Asan, South Chungcheong and seized a desktop computer, laptop, knife sharpener and other evidence.

On Thursday, the man said that he had submitted an eight-page apology statement to police. ✍️

HAS SOMETHING LIKE THIS EVER HAPPENED BEFORE? 📄

-Former President Park Geun-hye (May 20, 2006)

Park was attacked with a box cutter while attending a rally for a local government election in 2006 when she was the leader of the conservative party. She suffered an 11-centimeter-long cut on her right cheek.

-Then-U. S. Ambassador to Korea Mark Lippert (May 5, 2015)

Lippert was attacked by a pro-unification activist in his 50s with a knife on May 5, 2015. The U.S. ambassador suffered an 11-centimeter-long and 3-centimeter-deep cut to his face.

-Former DP leader Song Young-gil (Mar. 2022)

Song was struck with a blunt object by a YouTuber, suspected to be a supporter of the party, during the presidential campaign in March 2022. The YouTuber demanded that the party officially announce the end of the war between the two Koreas after the attack on Song.

READ MORE ABOUT THE INCIDENT HERE:

DP chief Lee Jae-myung stabbed by 67-year-old alleged supporter

DP chief Lee in recovery, but questions abound

DP leader Lee Jae-myung legally challenging year [REWIND 2023]