Man stabbed South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung to stop him from becoming president: police
- The Democratic Party’s chief was stabbed in the neck on January 2 in Busan by a man who had followed him for months
- Lee also called for an ‘end to the politics of hatred’ after getting discharged from hospital
Lee, chair of the Democratic Party, was stabbed in the neck in a near-fatal attack on January 2 in southern Busan city by a man who pushed through a crowd to get close to him, pretending to be a supporter.
Lee was wounded in his jugular vein and underwent hours of emergency surgery, but he recovered well and was released from hospital on Wednesday, the same day that police announced the results of their investigation into his attacker.
“The suspect decided to kill Lee to prevent him from becoming president,” Busan police chief Woo Cheol-mun told reporters, adding that the man had been planning the attack for months.
He bought the knife used in the attack in April, and had followed Lee on five separate occasions since June, disguising himself as a supporter while waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Police said the man’s “political beliefs” led him to commit the crime.