Attacker Sentenced to 15 Years for Stabbing South Korean Opposition Leader

The man who stabbed South Korea’s opposition leader in the neck in January, in one of the country’s worst political assaults in nearly two decades, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

A judge in Busan, where the attack took place, found the attacker guilty of attempted murder and violating election laws. The defendant, identified as Kim Jin-seong, a real estate agent, has the option to appeal the sentence and conviction within a week.

The knife attack on Lee Jae-myung, then the leader of South Korea’s main opposition party, occurred on January 2. The assault left Lee with a severe neck wound, but he recovered after eight days in the intensive care unit.

The attacker, Kim, born in 1957, had meticulously planned the assault over several months and had previously stalked Lee at rallies. Kim aimed to prevent Lee from becoming president and had prepared an eight-page manifesto detailing his motives.

The incident shocked South Korea, known for its historically peaceful political climate since transitioning to democracy in the 1990s. The attack raised concerns about rising political polarization and an increase in extreme online rhetoric.

Following Lee’s recovery, another politician, Bae Hyunjin, was attacked in Seoul, highlighting the escalating tensions in South Korean politics. Lee’s rivalry with President Yoon Suk Yeol has been a focal point in the country’s political landscape.

Despite losing the 2022 presidential election, Lee faces corruption charges, which he claims are politically motivated. He recently resigned as the opposition Democratic Party leader but plans to run for re-election, adhering to party regulations.

The last significant assault on a South Korean politician before Lee’s stabbing occurred in 2006 when Park Geun-hye, then an opposition figure and later the country’s president, was injured by a box cutter attack.