The leader of South Korea's main opposition bloc, Lee Jae-myung, is not at risk of death after being stabbed in the neck this Tuesday (2), sources from his party, the liberal Democratic Party, reported, cited by the agency of news Yonhap.
However, there is concern that Lee, 59, could suffer further bleeding, according to the same sources.
Lee was attacked at 10:27 am (local time, 10:27 pm on Monday in Brasília), during an event with journalists at the land that will house the new Busan airport (about 350 kilometers southeast of Seoul), when a man, wearing a crown who said “I am Lee Jae-myung”, attacked the opposition leader and stabbed him in the left side of the neck.
The man stuck an object that has not yet been identified and was between 20 and 30 centimeters long into Lee's neck, causing an incision of approximately one centimeter.
Lee fainted instantly and members of his party rushed to stop the bleeding before the ambulance arrived and took him to Pusan National University Hospital.
The perpetrator of the attack, a man between 60 and 70 years old, was detained at the scene, but has not yet revealed the motivation for his actions, according to the Gangseo district police in Busan.
After receiving emergency care in Busan, Lee was transferred by helicopter to the capital to undergo surgery at Seoul National University Hospital due to significant damage to his jugular vein.
Lee's health condition represents a new challenge for the Democratic Party ahead of legislative elections next April.
In recent weeks, doubts have arisen over whether Lee would be able to reach the elections as opposition leader in the face of internal pressure demanding his resignation due to ongoing investigations into his alleged involvement in corruption schemes when he was mayor of the city of Seongnam, on the outskirts of Seoul, and governor of Gyeonggi, the country's most populous province.
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