South Korea Boosts Security for Politicians as New Threats of Violence Emerge

SEOUL—South Korea beefed up security for prominent political figures as new threats of violence materialized against top officials, including the opposition-party head who was stabbed the prior day.

The left-leaning Democratic Party of Lee Jae-myung, who was attacked at a public event Tuesday, said several other individuals had threatened to kill the politician, and it vowed to track down the perpetrators and take legal action. The 59-year-old Lee was recovering on Wednesday at a hospital in Seoul after receiving emergency vascular surgery.

Separately, police arrested a man in the southwest city of Gwangju who allegedly posted a threat to kill Han Dong-hoon, the interim head of South Korea’s ruling People Power Party, in a messaging-app chat room. Han plans to travel Thursday to Gwangju, where regional police have promised a bigger presence.




The attack on Lee has jolted South Korea, where tensions were already running high in the run-up to a parliamentary election. The country’s national police agency pledged to strengthen protection for public figures. Police are setting up a hotline for law-enforcement officials to coordinate security measures before high-profile events. Extra security detail for most politicians is reserved for the two weeks before an election, but the police agency is considering accelerating those protections ahead of the April parliamentary race.

On Wednesday, police requested an arrest warrant for the man who has been accused of stabbing Lee. The suspect’s motive remains under investigation, police said. Authorities plan to charge the man, who was detained at the scene, with attempted murder. 

Police believe the suspect, who has no history of mental health or drug problems, acted alone. The man lives in the western city of Asan. Law-enforcement officials are investigating the attack as a premeditated crime.

As part of the investigation, law-enforcement officials received search warrants for the suspect’s home and the office of a real-estate agency he had operated, seizing computers and conducting digital forensics on his mobile phone. Police had earlier said the man, whose surname is Kim and who was born in 1957, had confessed to wanting to kill Lee. 

Authorities are trying to determine whether the suspect had affiliations with either Lee’s party or the ruling conservatives. 

Lee’s injuries aren’t considered life-threatening, party and medical officials said. The attack occurred in the southern port city of Busan, where Lee was visiting the planned site of an international airport. After receiving emergency treatment, Lee was airlifted to a hospital in Seoul.  

Lee, who lost a close 2022 race for the country’s presidency, is one of South Korea’s most prominent politicians and is widely expected to run for top office again. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday condemned the attack as terrorism, adding such behavior is “an enemy of liberal democracy.” 

The suspect had presented himself as an autograph-seeking supporter, wearing a paper crown with Lee’s name written on it in Korean, according to video footage and officials. He used a mountaineering knife that he purchased online, police said.

Write to Timothy W Martin and Dasl Yoon at Timothy.Martin@wsj.com
and dasl.yoon@wsj.com