The crowd around Lee overwhelmed the attacker, who appeared to be posing as one of his supporters. The assailant was wearing a headpiece that expressed support for Lee and asked for an autograph, according to Yonhap. The man was apprehended by police and his motive remains unknown.
Democratic Party spokesman Kwon Chil-seung told reporters during a briefing that the attacker was believed to have used a sashimi knife, but he declined to provide details of the attack or Lee’s injuries until a medical review.
“This incident is a terror attack to Representative Lee Jae-myung and a serious threat to democracy that should not happen under any circumstances,” Kwon said.
Lee, 59, a prominent labor lawyer turned politician who heads South Korea’s liberal opposition party, narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election to conservative Yoon Suk Yeol of the People Power Party. He formerly served as governor of Gyeonggi province, around Seoul, from 2018 to 2021, as well as mayor of Seongnam from 2010 to 2018.
Yoon expressed “deep concern” after learning of the attack on Tuesday, according to his office, and ordered authorities to investigate.
“The president emphasized that such acts of violence should not be tolerated under any circumstances,” the presidential office said in a statement.
During his time in South Korea’s highly polarized political sphere, Lee has been the subject of investigations over corporate donations and alleged corruption, with prosecutors and politicians unsuccessfully vying for his arrest at least twice last year. Lee has denied all allegations of wrongdoing and has described the claims as an attempt to discredit him and his party.
As mayor and governor, he was known for instituting policies such as a modest citywide universal basic income for young adults, increases in social welfare programs, free access to school uniforms and coronavirus stimulus checks for Gyeonggi residents.
