Suspect in stabbing of opposition leader voiced anger toward politicians in pre-crime note: police

The suspect in the stabbing attack against opposition leader Lee Jae-myung expressed resentment toward politicians, and the nation’s political and economic circumstances in a note written before his crime earlier this week, police said Friday.

The police have yet to disclose the eight-page note seized after Tuesday’s attack, but a newspaper on Friday quoted the 67-year-old suspect, surnamed Kim, as saying in the note that the national economy will collapse, no matter who wins April’s general elections.

Kim stabbed Lee, the chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), in the neck during Lee’s visit to the southeastern port city of Busan. The assailant was put under formal arrest Thursday after a court issued a detention warrant for him.

In the note, Kim was also quoted by the newspaper as writing: “During the previous government, the economy was ruined due to real estate policy failures and humiliating diplomacy toward North Korea. After the Yoon (Suk Yeol) government was inaugurated and Lee Jae-myung became the opposition leader, the DP has dedicated itself to saving Lee. If everything goes like this, the economy will collapse, whoever wins the general elections.”

The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency said in a media briefing that Kim’s remarks reported in the media do not completely match what he said in the note, but some of their content is similar.

Kim reportedly mentioned the word “history” several times in the note in an apparent effort to justify the motive for his crime and denounced some politicians.

But the police agency said it cannot reveal the politicians mentioned in Kim’s note because of its ongoing investigation.

Kim, a realtor operating in the central city of Asan, arrived in Busan on Monday to prepare for his crime, according to the police agency.

The agency said it has yet to confirm whether the attacker has a history of mental illness, adding it is considering disclosing his identity, including his full name and facial photo. The current law permits the disclosure of the identity of suspects in violent crimes, as long as there is sufficient evidence, and a need to meet the public interest and right to know.

The police said they plan to announce the final results of their investigation next week.