Lee Jae-myung, then leader of the Democratic Party, lies on the ground awaiting transport to a hospital after being stabbed in the left side of the neck while inspecting the site of the planned Gadeokdo New Airport in Gangseo District, Busan, on the morning of Jan. 2, 2024.
SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — The South Korean government has formally designated the 2024 knife attack on President Lee Jae-myung as the country’s first officially recognized act of terrorism, a decision that is expected to trigger a sweeping reinvestigation into the incident and the authorities’ initial response.
The designation was approved Tuesday at a meeting of the National Counterterrorism Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, according to government officials. It marks the first time an attack has been classified as terrorism since South Korea enacted its anti-terrorism law in 2016.
The committee, the government’s highest counterterrorism decision-making body, concluded that the assault met the legal definition of terrorism under existing law, following a review that included findings from a joint investigation team and legal analysis by the Ministry of Government Legislation.
“The attacker’s actions satisfy the statutory elements of terrorism,” the committee said in a statement, adding that it had confirmed its authority to make such a designation even in the absence of explicit procedural rules.
President Lee was stabbed in the neck on Jan. 2, 2024, while visiting the site of the planned Gadeokdo New Airport in Busan. He was airlifted to Seoul National University Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. The assailant, a man in his 60s identified only by his surname Kim, was sentenced last year to 15 years in prison.
Lee Jae-myung, then leader of the Democratic Party, is transported by helicopter to Seoul National University Hospital from the Nodeulseom helipad in Yongsan District, Seoul, on Jan. 2, 2024, after being stabbed during a visit to Busan. (Yonhap)
The attack occurred while Mr. Lee was serving as leader of the Democratic Party, then the main opposition force. Since his election as president, party officials have repeatedly accused the previous conservative administration of downplaying the incident and failing to classify it as terrorism, alleging mishandling of evidence and institutional cover-ups.
Those claims have now gained renewed momentum.
With the suspect’s conviction finalized — making further prosecution impossible — investigators are expected to focus on potential accomplices, motives beyond the lone attacker and whether any institutional failures contributed to the case’s initial handling.
The National Police Agency said it would form a new task force to conduct a comprehensive reinvestigation, pledging to examine possible instigators, collaborators and the conduct of relevant agencies, including intelligence, police, emergency services and military units.
“We will leave no question unanswered,” the agency said in a statement.
Prime Minister Kim said earlier that past investigations had been inadequate and excessively delayed, calling the attack “an incident that should never have occurred in a democratic nation.”
About a month after the attack, on Feb. 1, 2024, Lee Jae-myung, then leader of the Democratic Party, said of the incident, “The man who attacked me practiced the assault in his office, and the wounds were identical to the injuries I suffered.”
He added, “When I saw the knife marks left on the wall, they were at exactly the same angle — slightly raised to the right and perfectly horizontal. It appears he practiced very intensely. Thinking about it is horrifying.” (Photo source: Yonhap & YouTube channel “Ppalgan Ajae”)
“This government must act with the determination to eliminate the possibility of terrorism altogether,” he said, urging the public to recognize the broader implications for democratic security.
As a follow-up, the government said it would strengthen personal protection for key political figures during election periods and undertake a broader review of counterterrorism laws and institutions to prevent similar incidents.
The designation marks a significant political and institutional moment for the Democratic Party–led government, reopening one of the most traumatic episodes in recent Korean politics — and placing renewed scrutiny on how the state responds when violence strikes at the heart of its democracy.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
