Lee, chair of the Democratic Party, was stabbed in the neck in a near-fatal attack on January 2 in southern Busan city by a man who pushed through a crowd to get close to him, pretending to be a supporter.
Lee was wounded in his jugular vein and underwent hours of emergency surgery, but he recovered well and was released from hospital on Wednesday, the same day that police announced the results of their investigation into his attacker.
“The suspect decided to kill Lee to prevent him from becoming president,” Busan police chief Woo Cheol-mun told reporters, adding that the man had been planning the attack for months.
He bought the knife used in the attack in April, and had followed Lee on five separate occasions since June, disguising himself as a supporter while waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Police said the man’s “political beliefs” led him to commit the crime.
Stabbed South Korean opposition chief recovering after jugular reconstruction
Stabbed South Korean opposition chief recovering after jugular reconstruction
The suspect also had “grown disgruntled” over what he viewed as a slow pace of prosecution of Lee, who is facing multiple criminal cases.
Lee is widely expected to run for president again in 2027, and recent polls have indicated that he remains a strong contender.
But his bid for the top office has been overshadowed by a string of scandals, and he faces trial on charges of bribery in connection with a firm that is suspected of illicitly transferring US$8 million to North Korea.
Lee, 60, was discharged from the Seoul National University Hospital and told reporters that the attack should serve as an impetus to overhaul South Korea’s notoriously confrontational politics.
“I sincerely hope this incident could serve as a milestone to end the politics of hatred and restore a politics of respect and coexistence”, he said, his first public comments since the incident.
“I myself too will reflect on my deeds and strive hard to create politics of hope.”
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South Korean opposition leader hospitalised after stabbing incident
South Korean opposition leader hospitalised after stabbing incident
The suspect is a 66-year-old real property agent identified by the surname Kim who had struggled financially and had been unable to pay rent for his office for seven months, according to Yonhap news agency.
Several high-profile South Korean politicians have been attacked in public in past years.
An elderly man hit Song Young-gil, who led the Democratic Party before Lee, in the head with a blunt object in 2022.
In 2006, Park Geun-hye, then leader of the conservative party who later became president, was assaulted with a knife at a rally. The attack left a scar on her face.
South Korean politics is extremely adversarial, with many former presidents being prosecuted and jailed for corruption by rivals after leaving power – and later pardoned.