ED A terrorism label lacking evidence
Lee Jae Myung, then chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, lies supine after being attacked by a man in his 60s in Busan, Jan. 2, 2024. Courtesy of Busan Ilbo
Attack on Lee should not be designated as terrorism
The attempted assassination of Lee Jae Myung, then chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), on Jan. 2, 2024, has been designated as the nation’s first terrorist attack since the Counter-Terrorism Act was enacted in 2016.
During a counterterrorism committee meeting held on Monday, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok emphasized the need to reinvestigate the heinous crime — this time not as an ordinary criminal case, but as an act of terrorism.
“The investigation was conducted, but it was poorly done,” Kim said while presiding over the meeting. “A reinvestigation is long overdue. Those involved should conduct a thorough probe with the determination to leave no room for potential terrorist attacks in the future.”
Lee was attacked in 2024 while visiting a construction site for a new airport in Busan. A man in his 60s, wearing a blue paper crown bearing the phrase “I am Lee Jae Myung,” approached him pretending to be a supporter and stabbed him in the neck with a knife. Lee was left with a scar but survived the attack.
The offender, identified only by his surname Kim, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempted murder and violations of the Public Official Election Act. He is currently serving his sentence. Due to the principle of double jeopardy, reinvestigation of Kim himself is not permitted.
Police plan to form a task force to examine whether there were individuals behind him who masterminded the attack, whether investigators attempted to cover up any evidence and whether other suspicions surrounding the incident are grounded in facts.
An assassination attempt on a major political figure is, by itself, an extremely serious crime. Those who commit such acts must face severe punishment. Kim has been imprisoned and will remain there until his sentence expires.
However, whether the attack on Lee constitutes a terrorist act is a separate issue. There is no universally accepted definition of terrorism, nor clear-cut conditions that automatically classify an incident as such.
That said, there are widely recognized standards that distinguish terrorism from other violent crimes. Terrorist acts generally share core elements: clear intent, a level of violence serious enough to threaten the general public, and political or ideological motives.
It is questionable whether the 2024 assault meets these criteria. Law enforcement previously closed the case, identifying it as an attempted political assassination — not an act of terrorism.
The Lee administration is now seeking to reopen the case, expanding the scope of the investigation to areas that were previously overlooked, such as potential political motives or the existence of masterminds behind the attack. If reasonable suspicions arise and are supported by sufficient evidence, a reinvestigation by a new administration may be justified.
However, the government’s decision reveals a serious flaw.
The administration rushed to designate the 2024 assault as a terrorist attack without presenting any tangible evidence. It then announced that law enforcement would cooperate with related agencies, including the National Intelligence Service, to determine whether the incident qualifies as terrorism.
What happens if the task force fails to uncover evidence supporting that designation? Will the government revoke the label and reclassify the incident as attempted murder? Or will it attempt to manufacture justification for its premature conclusion?
This approach is self-contradictory, if not outright absurd.
Attempts to kill political leaders for personal reasons are generally not classified as terrorism because they do not meet the established criteria. The assassination of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, for example, is treated as a political assassination — not a terrorist attack.
The Counter-Terrorism Act took effect in 2016, after the Islamic State (IS) rose to prominence in 2014, capturing Mosul, Iraq, and declaring a caliphate. IS supplanted al-Qaida as the world’s most dangerous terrorist organization, posing grave threats to sovereign states in the Middle East until its decline in 2019.
The law was introduced to protect the Korean public from genuine terrorist threats. It calls on the government to develop realistic and systematic responses to prevent and counter terrorism in order to safeguard citizens. This legislation should not be misused by any administration.
The Lee administration should reconsider its decision to designate the attack on Lee Jae Myung as the nation’s first terrorist act. The move is not only illogical but also a waste of public resources.