Lee Jae-myung, chief of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party, is attacked by an unidentified man during his visit to the southeastern port city of Busan, South Korea, Jan. 2, 2024. (NEWSIS via Xinhua)
SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Lee Jae-myung, chief of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party, was attacked by an unidentified man with a knife during his visit to the country's southeastern port city of Busan Tuesday, according to multiple local media reports.
While taking questions from reporters in Busan at about 10:27 a.m. local time (0127 GMT), Lee was stabbed on the left side of his neck and collapsed on the floor with blood.
The attacker approached Lee asking for an autograph and stabbed him in the left neck, video footage showed.
People around Lee wrestled the attacker to the ground before the police arrested him at the scene.
According to Yonhap news agency, the knife possessed by the attacker was at least 20 centimeters long.
About 20 minutes after the attack, Lee was taken to a hospital in a conscious state.■