A shocking incident took place on Tuesday as Lee Jae-myung, the tough-speaking liberal leader of the main opposition Democratic Party was stabbed in the neck during a visit to the southeastern city of Busan, have a look at his wife and education
The attack on Lee Jae-myung unfolded after he finished a tour of the site of a new airport. An unidentified man posing as a supporter approached him, claiming to seek an autograph before abruptly stabbing him.
Who is South Korea DP leader Lee Jae-myung, biography, age, family, wife, education
Wednesday saw a raid by South Korean police on the home and workplace of the man who had stabbed Lee Jae-myung in the neck.
59-year-old Lee Jae-myung was born on 22 Dec, 1964. He got married to Kim Hye-kung in 1991 and the couple is blessed with two kids. Lee attended the Chung-Ang University and also Gachon University with him becoming a lawyer after graduating.
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Upaya pembunuhan terjadi di Korea Selatan, dengan sasaran utama salah satu politisi Korea Selatan yang bernama Lee Jae-myung. pic.twitter.com/PVSHYFxWa9
— Kegoblogan.Unfaedah (@kegblgnunfaedh) January 2, 2024
BREAKING: South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung has been stabbed in the neck
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 2, 2024
Lee Jae-myung career and attack
The aftermath of the attack saw Lee Jae-myung slump to the ground with a witness recounting the severity of the bleeding. Quick-thinking individuals in the crowd rushed to aid him by applying a handkerchief to his neck to stem the bleeding until medical help arrived.
Lee Jae-myung was taken to a nearby hospital where officials reported that he was conscious and not in critical condition. However, concerns arose over the potential damage to his jugular vein and the significant amount of bleeding.
Videos circulating on social media captured the chaotic moments after the attack, showing the suspect wearing a paper crown reading “I’m Lee Jae-myung” being chased and tackled by several individuals. Police swiftly arrested the man on the spot, but during questioning, he refused to identify himself or provide any motive for the attack.
Lee’s Democratic Party swiftly labeled the incident as “a terrorist attack on Lee and a serious threat to democracy.” Party spokesperson Kwon Chil-seung emphasized the urgency of a thorough and swift investigation by the police.
President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed deep concern about Lee’s health and promptly ordered authorities to investigate the attack, affirming that such violence would not be tolerated. The incident adds a layer of tension to the political landscape, given the historical context of the narrow margin by which Lee lost the 2022 presidential election to President Yoon.
Since his election defeat, Lee has been a vocal critic of Yoon’s major policies by engaging in a 24-day hunger strike last year to protest what he deemed as Yoon’s failures in handling various issues, including Japan’s release of treated radioactive wastewater, the post-pandemic economy, and hardline policies on North Korea. Lee also faces corruption allegations, including accusations of providing unlawful favors during his tenure as mayor of Seongnam.
The complexity of Lee’s political situation further intensified when a South Korean court denied an arrest warrant for him last September, despite the opposition-controlled parliament lifting his immunity to arrest. The divisions within the Democratic Party over his legal troubles have added layers of complexity to an already intricate political landscape.
Lee’s rise in politics from a political outsider to a key figure within the Democratic Party was marked by public discontent following the explosive 2016-17 corruption scandal that led to the removal of then-conservative President Park Geun-hye.
His self-made success story, overcoming a challenging childhood marked by factory work and an arm disability, resonated with supporters who saw him as an anti-elitist hero capable of reforming establishment politics.