Democratic Party of Korea alleges threats of shooter attack and other violence against presidential candidate

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea's presidential candidate, is seen wearing a white bulletproof vest at a campaign event on May 12 in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul. Yonhap
Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea's presidential candidate, is seen wearing a white bulletproof vest at a campaign event on May 12 in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul. Yonhap

At a campaign rally held by Democratic Party of Korea's presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung on Wednesday, some supporters in the crowd were seen holding up hand mirrors and glass plates as he gave a speech.

These items are meant to distract potential shooters in the vicinity from aiming, Lee supporters say, by reflecting light off the surface of the glass and blocking their view.

Supporters taking "anti-shooter" measures to protect Lee have become a common sight at Lee rallies following the Democratic Party's claims of tips from sources that retired military agents had smuggled Russian guns into the country to plot an attack against Lee.

Lee, who survived an assassination attempt by a man posing as his supporter in Busan on Jan. 2, 2024, has been spotted donning bulletproof body gear in public. So far at his campaign events, Lee has minimized face-to-face contact and kept his distance from the crowd where possible.

Some Democratic Party lawmakers have suggested going further by installing transparent bulletproof walls around Lee at rallies and other mass events, which are vulnerable to politically inspired attacks.

An anonymous Democratic Party lawmaker, who is deeply involved in Lee's campaign, said, however, that adding shields around the presidential candidate could risk portraying South Korea in a negative light. "Think about the message that image is going to send the world about South Korea's safety," he told The Korea Herald.

The Democratic Party has been escalating claims that Lee is being targeted in threats of violence, even accusing the country's intelligence agency of being involved in the supposed plotting of an attack against the candidate.

Rep. Jeon Hyun-heui, a Democratic Party supreme council member, claimed in a radio interview Wednesday that the National Intelligence Service might have been behind the stabbing attack against Lee in Busan last year.

Jeon said the NIS had not thoroughly investigated the attack then, and does not seem to be taking the threats against Lee seriously now. "This is why suspicions persist that the NIS may have been behind the attack on Lee," she argued.

Some false alarms had sent the Democratic Party scurrying in panic.

One time at a Lee rally in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, a man was seen carrying what looked like a machine gun, which turned out to be a toy, according to Democratic Party Rep. Boo Seung-chan.

These threats being perceived by the Democratic Party are hard to verify, Boo said. "We can't fact-check every single report about suspicious circumstances or behaviors, but we are preparing for the worst," the lawmaker said in a radio interview Thursday.

But the police said they have not received any complaints concerning attack attempts, or a plan for one, against Lee as of Wednesday, disputing the Democratic Party's earlier claim that at least seven police complaints had been filed.

On the Democratic Party's claims of plots and attacks targeting Lee, Rep. Na Kyung-won of the People Power Party said the rival party "should refrain from politics of scaremongering."


arin@heraldcorp.com