"Fake Knives, Fake Blood" Conspiracy Theories Resurface When the Time Is Right

"Can Be Staged with Fake Knives and Fake Blood"
Unfiltered Transmission of Baseless Claims

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, has been the subject of conspiracy theories raised by some conservative YouTubers regarding the attack against him. They claim that the attack was a staged event orchestrated by Lee's side.

On the morning of the 3rd, numerous videos presenting baseless claims about the attack on Lee were uploaded on YouTube. For example, the YouTuber 'Lee Bong-gyu TV', who has 850,000 subscribers, conducted a live broadcast focused on the stabbing incident the previous day.

Kim Sa-rang, who appeared on the broadcast, stated, "If a proper knife had been thrust in, (Lee) would have died," adding, "It is very difficult to stab 1 cm deep with a knife and keep the victim conscious. This attack happened after Han Dong-hoon’s approval rating rose, so it could be a 'jajaknamu' (staged) incident." Kim has repeatedly criticized Lee, claiming that Lee forcibly hospitalized him during his tenure as mayor of Seongnam in 2015.

During his visit to Busan, Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who was stabbed with a weapon, is being transported to Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 2nd. [Image source=Yonhap News]

During the live broadcast, Lee also relayed tips received from other netizens. Among them was a claim that the weapon used by the suspect A, who stabbed Lee, was not a knife but a phone case. Lee spread this claim without filtering it but soon corrected himself, saying, "That is not true."

At the end of the broadcast, he emphasized, "We need to keep open the possibility whether this was intentional or staged and analyze it," adding, "If staged, it is possible to stab with a fake knife and even fake blood, so we cannot make a definitive conclusion." Additionally, other YouTube channels uploaded videos raising conspiracy theories such as "The man who attacked Lee Jae-myung is a Democratic Party member" and "Lee Jae-myung’s surgery was a show."

Meanwhile, on the morning of the 2nd, Lee was attacked by suspect A while carrying out a local visit schedule in Busan. Lee collapsed after being attacked on the left side of his neck. Due to the stabbing, he sustained a 1.5 cm laceration on his neck and reportedly suffered damage to his jugular vein. Suspect A was arrested at the scene by security guards and police. Lee was transported to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment and then transferred to Seoul National University Hospital. Police are investigating suspect A’s motive and other details. It is reported that A is currently exercising his right to remain silent.

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