The Foreign Car That Gave a Ride to Lee Jae-myung's Attacker "Owner Supports Lee, Seems Not an Accomplice"

The police questioned a supporter of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, as a witness for giving a ride to the suspect Kim (67), who wielded a weapon against Lee.

According to Yonhap News on the 6th, Kim took the high-speed train (KTX) from Asan, Chungnam, and arrived at Busan Station on the 1st, the day before the crime. He then visited Bongha Village in Gyeongnam, Pyeongsan Village in Yangsan, Ulsan Station, and Busan Station before arriving at Gadeokdo, Busan, in the afternoon. It appears he scouted Lee’s scheduled route in advance.

Suspect who ambushed Lee Jae-myung staring straight ahead.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

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On the evening of the 1st, around 8 p.m., Kim stayed at a motel in Yongwon-dong, Jinhae-gu, Changwon, Gyeongnam, about 10 km from Gadeokdo, Busan. It was revealed that he moved by getting a ride in a foreign car owned by a supporter of Lee.

Kim reportedly told the police, "I came by car with a supporter of Lee whom I met for the first time." Since Kim is from Asan, Chungnam, and is unfamiliar with Busan’s geography, it is believed he met another supporter of Lee and got a ride.

After spending the night at the motel, Kim took a taxi to Daehang Observatory on Gadeokdo, the crime scene, and around 10:30 a.m., pretending to be a supporter, approached Lee and committed the crime.

A police official said, "We called the car owner and finished the investigation," adding, "We cannot confirm the details of the investigation." The police have not changed the car owner’s status to suspect even after the witness questioning.

The police are investigating the entire crime route and whether there were accomplices based on Kim’s statements, digital forensic analysis of his mobile phone (evidence extraction), and CCTV analysis.

Additionally, since the afternoon of the 4th, profilers have been involved in analyzing Kim’s statements and psychological profile. The police plan to conduct further investigation on the detained Kim and announce the final investigation results, including the motive, next week.

Meanwhile, Lee is currently recovering after surgery at Seoul National University Hospital.

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