According to a surgeon who operated on Lee Jae-myung, the head of the opposition Democratic Party of South Korea, he was recovering following surgery to repair a major vein that had been slashed in a knife attack two days ago and was no longer in critical condition.

Professor Min Seung-kee stated at a news briefing that Lee had to be under continuous surveillance because the damage to his jugular vein required challenging treatments to correct and problems following surgery could not be ruled out.

South Korea's opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung arrives on a stretcher at Seoul National University hospital after being stabbed in the neck by an unidentified man during his visit to Busan, in Seoul, South Korea, January 2, 2024.

"Thankfully, Lee is recuperating nicely," stated Min from the vascular surgery department of Seoul National University Hospital.

Opposition politician from South Korea, Lee Jae-myung, was stabbed in the neck while visiting Busan

A man in his 60s approached Lee at a public outdoor event in Busan wearing a supporter's disguise and stabbed him in the neck with a camping knife. The attacker was swiftly neutralized and placed under arrest by the police.


The nation was shocked by the attack, which both his party and his opponents denounced. It reopened concerns about prominent politicians' safety in light of political violence in the nation in spite of stringent weapons laws.

On January 2, 2024, in Seoul, South Korea, opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung enters on a stretcher at Seoul National University hospital following a neck knife wound sustained during a visit to Busan from an unnamed individual.

In an election scheduled for April, the liberal opposition party led by the tough-talking former progressive lawyer hopes to hold onto the parliamentary majority it currently enjoys against the conservatives of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

As part of a criminal investigation into an attempted murder accusation, the suspect—who apparently had a history of radical political views—remains in police custody and is scheduled to appear in court for a warrant for his formal detention.