DP chief recovering 'smoothly' after 'demanding' surgery

Seoul National University Hospital announced on Thursday that liberal Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung is recovering "smoothly" after undergoing surgery for a stab wound he sustained in a knifing two days prior.

Min Seung-kee, the surgeon from Seoul National University Hospital's vascular surgery department who operated on Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung after his stabbing on Tuesday, delivers a press briefing on Lee's surgery and condition at the hospital on Thursday. [YONHAP]

Seoul National University Hospital announced on Thursday that liberal Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung is recovering "smoothly" after undergoing surgery for a stab wound he sustained in a knifing two days prior.

Min Seung-kee, the surgeon from the hospital's vascular surgery department who operated on Lee, told reporters during a press briefing that the DP leader suffered “a stab wound about 1.4 centimeters (0.55 inches) above his left sternocleidomastoid muscle, also known as the neck muscle.”

He added that the knife used by Lee’s assailant “penetrated the neck muscle and sliced around 60 percent of the vein inside,” resulting in a significant amount of blood clotting.

However, the surgeon said there was no damage to the brachial artery, surrounding nerves, esophagus or airway.

“We conducted sufficient irrigation to prevent secondary infections and vascular reconstruction surgery, making primary repairs to the punctured superficial brachial vein,” the surgeon said, adding that the stitches were about 9 millimeters long.

Min said the medical team also removed all blood clots from the neck muscle, clipped the area, and sealed the wound after thorough cleansing, and that the operation lasted an hour and 40 minutes from 4:20 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Jan. 2.

The surgeon noted that Seoul National University Hospital agreed to perform the surgery on Lee upon receiving a request from Pusan National University Hospital, where Lee was originally admitted after his attack in Busan.

He also noted reconstructive surgery on neck veins or arteries is highly demanding.

“Success was difficult to guarantee, even if the surgery had been successful,” Min said, adding that surgery by an experienced vascular surgeon “was absolutely necessary” in Lee’s case.

The surgeon said that potential complications from the surgery had necessitated Lee’s stay in the hospital’s intensive care unit for close monitoring until the risk of further blood clotting and infection had subsided.

In response to questions about why the hospital had not held its official press briefing earlier, Min said that the hospital needed to seek Lee’s consent beforehand and that “the patient’s stability was a priority.”

The surgeon added that the DP leader gave his consent to the hospital to hold a press briefing as he began to recover.

The Busan District Court on Thursday approved the police request for an arrest warrant for the suspect in Lee’s stabbing on charges of attempted murder.

The 67-year-old suspect, identified only by his surname Kim, stabbed Lee in the neck with a 17-centimeter knife at 10:29 a.m. on Tuesday in Busan as he approached the DP leader for an autograph.

Kim was immediately overpowered and detained at the scene. He later confessed to trying to kill Lee, according to police.

Police officers have raided his residence and real estate agency in Asan, South Chungcheong and seized his desktop computer, laptop, a knife sharpener and other evidence to determine his motives for the crime.

According to police, Kim appears to have planned the attack in advance by purchasing and modifying the mountaineering knife he used in the attack and following Lee’s itinerary by arriving in Busan on Monday and visiting Ulsan later the same day before heading back to Busan on Tuesday.

Police have also sent investigators to the DP and conservative People Power Party (PPP) to determine if he is affiliated with any of the major political parties and whether he had a political motive for committing the attack.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, who defeated Lee in the presidential election held in 2022, and the rival PPP have condemned the stabbing of the DP leader as an act of “political terrorism.”

The stabbing occurred just 100 days before the April 10 general election as both the DP and PPP seek to win a majority in the National Assembly.

Both parties have since downsized large-scale events and urged their members to refrain from making comments about the attack that could generate controversy.

The DP has also called on its members to refrain from making speculative comments about Lee’s assailant, with floor leader Rep. Hon Ik-pyo telling the party’s lawmakers in a text message to adhere to “expressing wishes for Lee’s recovery” and “avoid mentioning the suspect.”

BY LEE HO-JEONG, MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]