Authorities in South Korea have confirmed the recent stabbing of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was a politically motivated attack. Lee Jae-myung, who survived the assassination attempt, ran for president in 2022 and narrowly lost to conservative Yoon Suk-yeol. Police said the attacker wanted to prevent him from running for president again in 2027. This is Busan Police Commissioner Woo Cheol-mun.

Woo Cheol-mun: “The suspect stated that he held a grudge that the victim, Lee Jae-myung, was not properly punished, and he wanted to prevent the victim from becoming president, stop him from giving nominations to certain groups and taking a majority of seats in the upcoming general election. That is why he decided to kill the victim.”