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Lee Jae-myung: South Korean opposition leader ‘stabbed in neck’ during Busan visit

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South Korea’s opposition leader Lee Jae-myung has been stabbed in the neck during a visit to Busan, according to local media.

He was attacked as he toured a construction site at a new airport, said the city’s emergency office.

It said Lee – who heads the main opposition Democratic Party – was conscious but that his exact condition is unknown.

A party official said he’d been taken to a local university hospital.

An unidentified man had approached the politician for an autograph before lunging in with a knife-like weapon, reported South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.

The man, who appeared to be in his 50s or 60s, was quickly restrained and arrested, said Yonhap.

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The politician was in the southern port city of Busan

YTN television showed Lee grimacing and collapsing to the ground, with other images showing people pressing a handkerchief to the side of his neck.

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It said he’d been left with a gash of about 1cm.

Lee lost the 2022 presidential election to Yoon Suk Yeol by a narrow margin.

He is currently on trial for alleged bribery – which he denies – relating to a development project when he was mayor of Seongnam near Seoul.

The president condemned the attack and expressed deep concern for his opponent’s condition, said a spokesperson for his office.

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