A man (4th from L, blurred) is taken by police investigators from Gangseo Police Station to Busan Metropolitan Police Agency in Busan on Jan. 2, 2024. The suspect is accused of stabbing the neck of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung during the politician’s visit to Busan. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL/BUSAN, Jan. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — Police said Wednesday they plan to seek an arrest warrant for the suspect in the stabbing attack against opposition leader Lee Jae-myung during his visit to the southeastern port city of Busan.
The suspect, identified only by his surname Kim, 66, is accused of stabbing Lee, the chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), in the neck while posing as an autograph-seeker Tuesday morning. The attack occurred after Lee toured the construction site of a new airport on Busan’s Gadeok Island.
Kim was immediately overpowered and detained at the scene.
On Wednesday, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency said they plan to seek a warrant to formally arrest Kim, most likely on charges of attempted murder. Earlier, the police revealed that Kim had confessed to intending to kill Lee.
Additionally, a district court issued a warrant to search Kim’s house and office as part of the investigation.
Police said they will focus on finding the exact motive behind the attack.
Lee, who suffered an injury to his jugular vein, was flown by helicopter to Seoul and underwent surgery at Seoul National University Hospital. He is currently recovering in the intensive care unit.
“Lee was stabbed in the jugular vein and underwent vascular reconstruction surgery, which included the removal of blood clots,” the party’s spokesperson, Rep. Kwon Chil-seung, said in a press briefing Tuesday.
President Yoon Suk Yeol and rival parties unanimously expressed deep concern over Lee’s safety and condemned the attack, emphasizing that such violence should never be tolerated under any circumstances.
The attack occurred just 100 days before the country holds parliamentary elections in April.
(Yonhap)
