5-7-2024 (SEOUL) A 67-year-old man who brazenly stabbed the leader of South Korea’s main opposition party has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by a court in Seoul. The ruling, handed down on Friday by the Busan District Court, sends a resounding message that acts of violence aimed at undermining the democratic process will not be tolerated.
Presiding over the sentencing hearing, the judge characterized the crime, which took place ahead of a pivotal general election, as a “serious challenge and an attempt to destroy representative democracy,” according to reports from the Yonhap news agency.
Prosecutors had initially sought a harsher sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for the attacker, identified by Yonhap only as Kim. However, the court’s decisive ruling, while falling short of the prosecution’s request, leaves no room for ambiguity regarding the gravity of the offense.
The shocking incident unfolded in January, when Lee Jae-myung, the then-leader of the Democratic Party, fell victim to a brazen attack while visiting the southern city of Busan. Chilling video footage captured the assailant, donning a paper crown emblazoned with Lee’s name, approaching the opposition leader under the guise of seeking an autograph before lunging forward and plunging a knife into his neck.
The attack was swiftly condemned as an “act of terror” and a direct affront to democracy by President Yoon Suk-yeol and politicians across the political spectrum, underscoring the profound implications of such a heinous act.
In the aftermath of the assault, Lee’s party secured a landslide victory in the April parliamentary elections, dealing a resounding blow to President Yoon and his conservative party. However, the triumph was tempered by the narrow margin that denied them a coveted supermajority.
Lee, who narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election, has since resigned from his position as party leader and currently faces trial on bribery charges, which he vehemently denies.
