Police will look into a report of an alleged plan to assassinate Democratic Party of Korea Chair Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the main opposition party’s most likely presidential candidate, the country's police chief told the parliament Wednesday.
Lee Ho-young, acting Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency, said in a meeting of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee that the police will "conduct a thorough investigation" of the report.
The response from the police chief came after the Democratic Party said Wednesday the party would request police protection for Lee, saying it received a credible tip about a plan to assassinate Lee.
Democratic Party spokesperson Rep. Hwang Jung-a told reporters that based on the tip, some former defense intelligence agents were plotting to assassinate Lee using smuggled handguns from Russia.
The Democratic Party identified the source as an unnamed former Korea Defense Intelligence Command officer.
Later on Wednesday, the party issued a statement expressing shock about there being a second assassination attempt on Lee just one year and two months after Lee was stabbed in Busan.
Chances of another such terrorist attack have intensified, driven by far-right activists, the statement read, as suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment ruling looms. The party strongly urged the authorities to make every effort to prevent any such attacks, which would threaten the principles of democracy.
The Democratic Party leader was targeted in a stabbing attack in January 2024 while visiting the site of a new airport in Busan by a man requesting his autograph, requiring a surgery to repair a major blood vessel.
arin@heraldcorp.com
