South Korean president issues urgent directive after party leader attacked

South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that on January 2, during a visit to the southeastern port city of Busan, the leader of the country's Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, was attacked with a knife.

Tổng thống Hàn Quốc ra chỉ thị khẩn sau vụ một lãnh đạo đảng bị tấn công. (Nguồn: yonhap)

Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung speaks in Busan before being attacked on January 2. (Source: Yonhap)

After visiting the construction site of a new airport on Busan's Gadeok Island and giving a press interview, Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck.

Lee Jae-myung was immediately taken to Busan National University Hospital for treatment of a 1-centimeter-long wound to his neck. He was then transferred to Seoul National University Hospital for further treatment.

According to doctors, despite heavy bleeding, Mr. Lee Jae-myung's life is not in danger due to the stab wound in the jugular vein.

The attacker of Mr. Lee Jae-myung was subdued by the police at the scene. Initial investigation showed that the suspect was a male, surnamed Kim, born in 1957.

The suspect bought an 18-centimeter knife online to commit the crime. He has admitted that he intended to kill Lee Jae-myung, so he will likely be charged with premeditated murder.

Police also discovered that Kim had attended an event in Busan last month that was attended by Lee Jae-myung. A video posted on YouTube shows that the suspect tried to approach Lee Jae-myung at the event but was unsuccessful.

Expressing concern for Lee Jae-myung's safety, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol assured that the Democratic Party leader would receive timely treatment and asked authorities to clarify the incident.

Yonhap news agency quoted the president's spokeswoman, Kim Soo-kyung, as saying that the leader also stressed that such violent acts cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.

Meanwhile, South Korean National Police Agency Director Yoon Hee-keun announced the establishment of a special investigation team in Busan to clarify the incident, affirming that they will tighten protection of key figures to avoid repeating similar attacks.

On the same day, Democratic Party spokesman Kwon Chil-seung condemned the attack, calling it an act of terrorism.

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