Seoul: 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 Yonhap News Agency, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) announced that the government will convene a meeting of the National Counterterrorism Committee next Tuesday. The purpose of this meeting is to deliberate and decide on the classification of the attack as an act of terrorism.
Lee was attacked by a 67-year-old man who stabbed him in the neck during a visit to the southeastern city of Busan on January 2, 2024. Following the attack, Lee received initial treatment at Pusan National University Hospital. He later underwent surgery and was hospitalized at Seoul National University Hospital.
The PMO stated that the decision to hold the meeting was made after a comprehensive review of the findings from a renewed joint counter-terrorism investigation.
A PMO official mentioned that Prime Minister Kim Min-seok has tentatively concluded, based on inputs from relevant agencies and legal interpretations, that the incident qualifies as terrorism.
The decision to convene the meeting occurs amid accusations that the then Yoon Suk Yeol administration attempted to downplay or misrepresent the incident by not classifying it as terrorism.