PPP lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin undergoes surgery on skull after 2024 assault incident

People Power Party lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin reportedly underwent surgery to open part of her skull due to lingering symptoms from an assault in early 2024. Since the incident, Bae had complained of hearing loss, dizziness and headaches.

Lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin takes part in a televised debate on channel Arirang TV on April 2. [NEWS1]

People Power Party lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin reportedly underwent surgery to open part of her skull due to lingering symptoms from an assault in early 2024. Since the incident, Bae had complained of hearing loss, dizziness and headaches — symptoms severe enough to disrupt communication, according to her aides.

Bae received a craniotomy earlier this month at Asan Medical Center in Songpa District, southern Seoul, according to News1 on Sunday. A craniotomy is a surgical procedure in which part of the skull is removed to expose the brain.

During a recent examination at the hospital, Bae was found to have suffered damage to part of the bone beneath the brain. The surgery was reportedly conducted to restore the affected function.

“She had been suffering from debilitating pain since the assault and underwent surgery as a result,” said a staffer in Bae’s office. “She is now focused on recovery after being discharged, hoping to return to work soon.”

On Jan. 25 last year, Bae was struck in the head with a blunt object by a teenage middle school student inside a building in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam District, southern Seoul. She sustained a head injury and was hospitalized for three days.

The teenager reportedly told police that he had gone to the building hoping to see a celebrity trainee and attacked Bae upon encountering her unexpectedly, acting on impulse. Police and prosecutors concluded that he committed the assault on a whim to attract media attention.

On Feb. 13, the Seoul Central District Court’s 26th Criminal Division sentenced him to one year in prison, suspended for two years, on charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm with a weapon. The court also ordered probation and mandatory treatment for mental illness.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY BAE JAE-SUNG [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]