A man who attempted to assassinate South Korea’s opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung, by stabbing him in the neck earlier this year has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. The Busan District Court delivered the verdict on Friday, finding the attacker guilty of attempted murder and violating election laws.
The attack occurred in January during an event in the southeastern city of Busan. The assailant approached Lee, the head of the liberal Democratic Party, requesting an autograph before suddenly attacking him with a knife. Following his arrest, the attacker confessed to investigators that his motive was to prevent Lee from becoming South Korea’s president.
The court emphasized the gravity of the attack, stating it posed a significant challenge to the country’s election systems and undermined public trust in democratic principles. Evidence presented in court revealed that the attacker harbored deep animosity towards Lee due to political disagreements. He had meticulously practiced stabbing techniques and followed Lee to five public events prior to the attack.
The incident took place ahead of South Korea’s parliamentary elections in April, which resulted in a landslide victory for Lee’s Democratic Party and other opposition groups over President Yoon Suk Yeol’s conservative governing party. The attack further exacerbated the already strained conservative-liberal divide in South Korean politics.
While the court did not disclose the attacker’s identity, police identified him as a 67-year-old man previously affiliated with the ruling People Power Party. Lee, a former provincial governor known for his sharp tongue, narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election to Yoon, a former top prosecutor. Current polls indicate that Lee is a strong contender for the 2027 presidential election, while Yoon is ineligible to seek re-election.
