Knife-Pierced Lee Jae-myung Shirt Found in Trash Bag Just Before Disposal

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, was confirmed to have the dress shirt he wore during the stabbing incident on the 2nd found at a medical waste disposal company in Jinju, Gyeongnam.

On the 12th, the police announced that the bloodstained dress shirt Lee was wearing when he was attacked by suspect Kim (67) was discovered on the 4th, three days after the investigation began, at a medical waste disposal company in Jinju. The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, which is investigating the stabbing case, analyzed videos and witness statements from the time of the incident but had not secured the clothes Lee was wearing. This made it difficult to confirm how the weapon wielded by Kim caused injuries to Lee.

The collar of the dress shirt worn by Representative Lee Jae-myung at the time of the stabbing on the 2nd shows traces of a weapon piercing through [Image source: Provided by Busan Police Agency, Yonhap News]

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The police inquired with Busan National University Hospital, where Lee received emergency treatment, and the Democratic Party to find Lee’s clothes, but no one could provide a proper answer amid the urgent situation following the stabbing. After some investigation, the police learned that the dress shirt Lee wore had been discarded at the hospital and was later transferred to a medical waste disposal company in Jinju, Gyeongnam.

When the police arrived at the company on the 4th, the dress shirt was inside a garbage bag, about to be disposed of. The police immediately tried to collect the shirt, but the company expressed reluctance, citing concerns about infection as medical waste under relevant laws. Ultimately, the police obtained a search warrant from the court and, on the 5th, wearing protective suits and equipment, were barely able to secure the dress shirt as evidence.

Collar of Lee Jae-myung's dress shirt pierced by a weapon
[Image source: Provided by Busan Police Agency, Yonhap News]

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The dress shirt, confirmed to have Lee’s bloodstains, still bore traces from the stabbing incident. The tip of the weapon Kim used pierced a 1.5 cm hole in the collar of the shirt and a 1.2 cm hole in the inner fabric, then inflicted a 1.4 cm long and 2 cm deep wound on Lee’s neck. As a result, Lee sustained damage to a 9 mm internal jugular vein.

When announcing the investigation results on the 10th, the police revealed this fact, stating, "The weapon first pierced through the collar of the dress shirt," and added, "If the weapon had stabbed Lee’s neck directly without the collar, it would have caused a fatal injury."

Meanwhile, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, was discharged from Seoul National University Hospital on the 10th. On that day, Lee said, "The life saved by the people, I will live the rest of my life solely for the people," and added, "We must now end this war-like politics where the opponent must be killed and eliminated." It is known that Lee will stay at home for the time being to continue his treatment.

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