Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Main opposition party chief's leadership at crossroads as he returns to work after attack
Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung speaks to reporters as he leaves Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno District, Seoul, Wednesday, eight days after he was attacked in the neck by a knife-wielding assailant. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Nam Hyun-woo
Lee Jae-myung leaves hospital after eight days of treatment for stabbing
After undergoing eight days of treatment, Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung, who was stabbed in the neck by a political extremist on Jan. 2, was discharged from the hospital, Wednesday.
However, Lee may find little time for recovery amid a host of challenges from within and outside the party that pose major challenges to his leadership.
“It is time to bring an end to the adversarial nature of politics, where the objective seems to be the destruction of opponents,” Lee told reporters as he walked out of Seoul National University Hospital. “I hope this incident serves as a milestone, prompting a shift away from divisive and confrontational politics toward a more respectful and inclusive approach.”
Supporters of main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung hold banners welcoming his recovery at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno District, Seoul, Wednesday, where he was hospitalized for eight day of treatment from a knife attack. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Lee was stabbed in the neck by a knife-wielding man in his 60s posing as a supporter during a visit to a proposed new airport site in Busan. Following his transfer to the hospital in Seoul, Lee underwent surgery to repair damage to his jugular vein.
Expressing gratitude to the police, medical professionals, and first responders who attended to him in both Busan and Seoul, Lee pledged to dedicate the remainder of his life to serving the people.
“At a certain juncture, our politics devolved into a destructive form that breeds nothing but despair,” the chairman said. “Moving forward, it is crucial for us to reflect on ourselves, aspiring to return to a politics centered on hope and restoration.”
While Lee has been discharged from the hospital, his return to party affairs is expected to be a gradual process. DPK senior spokesperson Rep. Kwon Chil-seung told reporters that the timing of Lee's return to the party will be decided following consultation with medical professionals.
Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Rep. Cho Eung-cheon, right, reads a statement on his departure from the party during a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Wednesday. DPK Reps. Lee Won-wook, left and Kim Jong-min, center, also left the party. Yonhap
During his brief speech, Lee did not explicitly address ongoing issues. However, the spokesperson said Lee emphasized the importance of cohesion, likely in response to some DPK members leaving the party, which is a significant challenge the chairman currently faces.
Just hours before Lee's release from the hospital, three DPK lawmakers critical of the chairman announced their departure from the party.
Reps. Cho Eung-cheon, Kim Jong-min and Lee Won-wook, members of the DPK’s fringe group called Principle and Common Sense, held a press conference at the National Assembly and said they are leaving the party because it is difficult to “judge the Yoon Suk Yeol administration under Chairman Lee’s leadership.”
“About 60 percent of the public is against the Yoon administration, but only half of them support the DPK despite the administration’s terrible failures,” the lawmakers said in a statement. “The DPK remains steadfast, emphasizing unity under Chairman Lee, and such inflexibility may lead to a flawed assessment of the Yoon administration.”
Consisting of four Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmakers, Principle and Common Sense has been critical of what they perceive as Lee's hegemonic leadership, asserting that his fervent supporters suppress party members from expressing diverse opinions. Notably, the fourth member, Rep. Yoon Young-chan, has opted to stay with the DPK.
The departing lawmakers proposed what they described as a coalition of reformists, adding that former DPK Chairman Lee Nak-yon will join this movement. They said the door remains open to Lee Jun-seok, the former head of the conservative ruling People Power Party (PPP) who broke away to create his own party.
The former DPK chairman is scheduled to announce his departure from the party on Thursday, blaming the current chairman for excessive control.
“Frustrated by the perceived autocratic control within both parties, the public finds itself without a political group it can truly depend on,” the former chairman told reporters on Sunday. “Providing an option on which the public can pin their hopes and allowing more people to participate in politics are what I can do for the country.”
Ruling People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon, center, attends a New Year greeting event with the party's South Gyeongsang Province members at a convention hall in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. Yonhap
The increasing influence of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) interim Chairman Han Dong-hoon is also a concern for the DPK chairman.
Han, a former justice minister and relative newcomer to politics often seen as a protégé of Yoon, is rapidly solidifying his control over the party. Appointed as interim chief on December 26, he is tasked with rejuvenating the party ahead of the general elections in April and resolving internal factional conflicts.
While the DPK chairman continues to reject calls from peripheral members for a restructuring, Han is reaching out to swing voters by emphasizing his commitment to reforming the PPP, aiming to revive the party's dwindling public support.
In a poll by Metrix released on Wednesday, 35 percent of respondents said they will vote for the PPP if the general elections take place tomorrow, up 4 percentage points from the previous survey. Support for the DPK remained flat at 36 percent during the same period.
Also, 36 percent of respondents expressed support for the People Power Party (PPP), surpassing the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) with 33 percent. The poll, commissioned by Yonhap News Agency, surveyed 1,000 individuals from Saturday to Sunday. Additional details can be found on the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission's website.
"This act of terrorism is an affront to democracy," Han told reporters on Wednesday, referring to the attack on the DPK chairman. However, he also emphasized that he would ensure "a lawmaker sentenced to imprisonment should return the salary he received during the trial period."
The comments were directed at Lee, who has been attending several court trials for criminal charges, including those related to a land development scandal in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.