Political Circles Shocked by News of Lee Jae-myung Attack: "A Serious Threat to Democracy"

Kim Jin-pyo "Violent acts cannot be tolerated under any circumstances"
Han Dong-hoon "Absolutely, absolutely unacceptable"
Justice Party "Strongly condemns political terrorism"

The ruling and opposition parties strongly condemned the attack on Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, by an assailant.

On the 2nd, Speaker of the National Assembly Kim Jin-pyo issued a statement regarding the attack on Lee, saying, "The leader of the main opposition party was subjected to a stabbing attack," and criticized, "This cannot be anything less than a serious threat to democracy."

He added, "Violent acts can never be tolerated under any circumstances," and stated, "As the Speaker of the National Assembly, I strongly condemn this."

Han Dong-hoon, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, held an urgent press conference before the Daejeon City Party's New Year's meeting, saying about the attack on Lee, "This is something that must never, ever happen in our society." Han said, "The investigative authorities must conduct a strict and swift investigation to uncover the full truth and hold those responsible fully accountable."

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung is being transported by a 119 ambulance after being attacked at Daehang Observatory in Gangseo-gu, Busan, on the morning of the 2nd. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Park Jeong-ha, Chief Spokesperson of the People Power Party, said, "Even in a liberal democratic country, this is something that cannot be tolerated," and added, "Through a strict and swift investigation, we must firmly respond to ensure that such incidents never happen again. I hope the damage is not severe."

Kwon Chil-seung, Chief Spokesperson of the Democratic Party, condemned the attack as "a terror attack against Lee and a serious threat to democracy." Kwon said, "This must never happen under any circumstances," and requested, "I ask the police to conduct a thorough and swift investigation into this incident without any suspicion."

Former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon expressed on social media (SNS), "I cannot suppress my shock and anger at the news of the attack on Lee," and said, "I sincerely hope that Lee's injuries are not severe and that he recovers quickly." He added, "Violence is the enemy of democracy," and stated, "The suspect arrested at the scene must be thoroughly investigated and punished to prevent violence from happening again."

Kim Jun-woo, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the Justice Party, also said, "This incident is a clear political terror," expressing "deep anger and regret at the attack on a prominent presidential candidate and leader of the main opposition party." He continued, "Democracy cannot grow in the shadow of violence," and said, "The Justice Party strongly condemns the political terror against Lee Jae-myung and hopes the truth behind this political terror will be revealed as soon as possible."

Jo Seong-ju, co-leader of New Choice, stated on SNS, "Politics inevitably involves competition, but it must stand on democratic order," and said, "Hatred toward opponents must not engulf our community." He added, "As the general election approaches, the current hatred and violence, which are intensifying, are very concerning," and urged, "We must all immediately refrain from extreme actions and tendencies that provoke hatred among each other."

Earlier that day, after inspecting the site of the new airport on Gadeokdo Island in Busan and finishing a Q&A session with reporters, Lee was attacked on the left side of his neck by an unidentified man while moving, collapsing while bleeding.

The assailant reportedly approached Lee, claiming to be a supporter and requesting a sign, then pulled out a weapon and attacked him. The assailant was said to be wearing a crown inscribed with "I am Lee Jae-myung" on his head. The police apprehended the assailant at the scene. The assailant was reportedly carrying a 20cm-long weapon at the time of arrest and is estimated to be in his 60s.

Lee, who was initially transported by helicopter to Busan National University Hospital, was transferred back to Seoul National University Hospital by helicopter due to concerns over jugular vein injury and massive bleeding, where surgery was planned.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.