South Korea knife attack signals pre-election turmoil

A knife attack on Tuesday targeting Lee Jae-myung, the head of South Korea's main opposition party, has been condemned as an assault on democracy less than 100 days ahead of the 2024 legislative election.

Analysts have also suggested the attack, which took place as Lee addressed reporters at a construction site for an airport close to the city of Busan, is a sign of worsening political polarization and an increasing willingness to use smear tactics and violence to further political aims. 

The alleged assailant, identified by police as a 66-year-old man, was overpowered immediately after the attack and is being held by police in Busan.

Police sources told local media that the suspect confessed that he planned to kill Lee, who survived the stabbing and is currently in intensive care. The suspect is expected to be charged with attempted murder.

There are no indications of why the suspect, who is a registered member of Lee's Democratic Party, wanted to kill the opposition leader.

Public dissatisfaction with politics

Kim Sang-woo, a former politician with the left-leaning South Korean Congress for New Politics, and now a member of the board of the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation, told DW that anger and violence stems from the Korean people believing "their politicians have let them down."

"Politicians today do not cater to the aspirations of the people and it has become 'encampment politics' or party against party, leaving the people out," he said. "The politicians only listen to the public when it suits them, which is shortly before elections, and people are tired of it."

Kim was a politician for four years from 1996 and decided not to stand for election again as he was unhappy at the direction South Korean politics was headed even then. 

"I was never fearful of this sort of violence, and when I first went into politics, I did so because I thought that I was going to be able to do something good for my country," he said. "But I quickly learned that politics was all about keeping constituents happy and winning the next election."

"I was disillusioned and stepped down because I could not achieve anything worthwhile," he added.

Politicians face violence in South Korea

Physical confrontations involving South Korean politicians suggest the job has indeed become more dangerous.

In 2018, opposition leader Kim Sung-tae was punched on the chin by a young man who was able to get close to him by posing as a supporter.

Four years later, Democratic Party Chairman Song Young-gil was attacked and hit on the head with a hammer by a hard-line nationalist.

In 2006, opposition leader Park Geun-hye, who would go on to become president, was attacked by a man wielding a box cutter as she campaigned in a local election.

And attacks have not solely been aimed at domestic politicians, with a political extremist attacking Mark Lippert, the US ambassador to Seoul, with a razor during a function in the city in 2015. Lippert required 80 stitches to his face and hands. 

"Politics is ugly and I think it is becoming even more vicious," said Lim Eun-jung, an associate professor of international studies at Kongju National University in South Korea.

"Our entire society is completely divided and polarized by political interests," she told DW, pointing out that Lee Jae-myung himself is embroiled in police investigations into illicit donations from construction firms in return for favors while he was mayor of Seongnam between 2010 and 2018. 

He has also been quizzed by prosecutors over a scheme to secretly send $8 million (€7.3 million) to North Korea through a private company as part of a scheme to improve bilateral relations and win support for his party's efforts to build closer ties with Pyongyang.

Tensions high ahead of election

"There is an ugly, dark side to our contemporary democracy, and people find that extremely frustrating," said Lim. "Although, of course, that does not excuse any sort of physical attack against another person," she added. 

The stakes are very high for the election scheduled for April 10, and she believes the authorities need to be ready for more violence. 

"The election is much too close to call at the moment, but it is no exaggeration to say that it is a question of life or death for both parties," she said. 

If the Democratic Party should fare poorly, then Lee will almost certainly have to resign as leader and will come under greater scrutiny over his legal woes.

If the ruling People Power Party of President Yoon Suk Yeol loses, then governing the nation will be very difficult for the remaining two years of his administration. 

"Tensions are high and I fear that we could see more dangerous scenes ahead of the election," said Lim.

Edited by: Wesley Rahn