Past knife attack on Lee likely to be designated as terror case by gov't
President Lee Jae Myung, then leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, leaves Seoul National University Hospital in Seoul, Jan. 10, 2024, after being discharged eight days after he was stabbed during a public appearance. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
A past knife attack on President Lee Jae Myung in 2024, when he was leader of the then main opposition party, is expected to be formally designated as a terror incident, according to government sources Wednesday.
According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the government will convene a meeting of the National Counterterrorism Committee next Tuesday to deliberate and decide whether to formally classify the attack as an act of terrorism.
Lee was stabbed in the neck by a 67-year-old man during a visit to the southeastern city of Busan on Jan. 2, 2024. He was initially treated at Pusan National University Hospital before undergoing surgery and hospitalization at Seoul National University Hospital.
The PMO said the decision to convene the meeting was made after comprehensively reviewing the results of a restarted joint counter-terrorism investigation.
According to a PMO official, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok has tentatively concluded, based on opinions from relevant agencies and legal interpretations, that the incident constitutes terrorism.
The planned meeting comes amid allegations that the then Yoon Suk Yeol administration sought to downplay or distort the case by not classifying the attack as terrorism.