A SOUTH Korean opposition party leader was stabbed in the neck by a man pretending to be a fan.
Lee Jae-myung, 59, was surrounded by journalists at a construction site in the port city of Busan when a man lunged and knifed him in the neck.
Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck by a man pretending to be a supporter
YonhapLee moments before the man lunged at him and stabbed him in the neck[/caption]
YonhapCrowds were seen tackling the suspect, who wore a hat with a pro-Lee slogan, to the ground[/caption]
ReutersLee, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, was stabbed in the neck[/caption]
He was bleeding but conscious as he was reportedly rushed to a local hospital before being flown to the capital Seoul for surgery.
Police were seen wrestling the suspect – who wore a paper crown with a pro-Lee slogan – to the ground.
He was arrested at the scene, Yonhap reported.
Lee was “walking to his car while talking to reporters when the attacker asked for his autograph”, a witness told broadcaster YTN, adding that Lee was then struck with what “looked like a knife”.
He was seen collapsing to the ground as people rushed to aid him.
One of them pressed a handkerchief on Lee’s neck before emergency responders rushed him to an ambulance.
“This is an act of terror against Lee and a serious threat to democracy that should never occur under any circumstances,” Kwon Chil-seung, an MP from Lee’s Democratic Party, told reporters.
Lee was airlifted to the capital, where Kwon said he would undergo surgery at the Seoul National University Hospital.
Cops reportedly said Lee suffered a “one-centimetre laceration on his neck” and he “remains conscious”.
Kwon Chil-seun said medical staff suspected Lee has suffered damage to a jugular vein.
“There is concern that there could be large haemorrhage or additional haemorrhage, according to medical staff,” Kwon added.
The attacker has not stated his motive, according to police officials, but officers are seeking charges of attempted murder against Lee.
Footage showed the suspect, wearing a paper crown reading Im Lee Jae-myung, being chased and tackled by several people.
Lee lost to conservative Yoon Suk Yeol in the tightest presidential race in South Korea‘s history last year.
Yoon expressed “deep concern over the safety of Lee Jae-myung upon hearing of the attack”, his spokeswoman Kim Soo-kyung said.
Since his election defeat, Lee has been a harsh critic of Yoon’s major policies – including launching a 24-day hunger strike in protest.
AFPLee receives first aid after being attacked at the construction site by a man claiming to be a fan[/caption]
ReutersLee during his visit to Busan, South Korea moments before he was stabbed[/caption]
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