South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung stabbed during event in Busan

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. Medical staff suspected Lee may have jugular vein damage and were concerned about excessive bleeding, Kwon said.

“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, lost the 2022 presidential election to conservative Yoon Suk Yeol of the People Power Party by the narrowest margin in South Korea’s democratic history. 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.

South Korean politics has become increasingly divisive and bitter ahead of April’s parliamentary elections, where the Democratic Party’s majority is at stake. One of the lightning rod issues has been the sweeping investigations into Lee’s business dealings and decisions from his time as Gyeonggi governor. Lee has denied all allegations of wrongdoing and has described the claims as an attempt to discredit him and his party.

Last year, Lee faced an an arrest warrant on corruption charges that threatened to ruin his political career. He held a 24-day hunger strike in protest of what he called policy failures by the Yoon government. A South Korean court rejected the warrant in September and he avoided jailtime.

As mayor and governor, Lee was known for supporting 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.