'Lee Jae-myung Assault Incident' Witness: "He Was a Supporter but Yelled... It Was Strange from the Start"

Witness: "Different from usual supporters... Felt it was strange"

A witness to the 'Lee Jae-myung stabbing incident' described the suspect's behavior before and after the crime as "different from ordinary supporters." The suspect reportedly approached Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, pretending to be a supporter by wearing a blue crown inscribed with "I am Lee Jae-myung."

Jin Jeong-hwa, operator of the YouTube channel Bareun Sori TV, who witnessed the situation, appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 3rd and said, "(The suspect's behavior) was unusual. Normally, supporters don't come dressed up like that," adding, "He was somewhat excessively dressed up, and when former Senior Superintendent Ryu Sam-young arrived, he seemed to act very familiar."

On the morning of the 3rd, police officers are on guard duty in front of Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is receiving treatment after being attacked with a weapon. Photo by Yonhap News

Jin also recalled feeling something was off when she saw the suspect shouting at Lee Jae-myung, asking for an autograph without any book or paper to sign. She said, "The suspect seemed to have arrived after 9 a.m. and kept lingering around without approaching the leader directly, just shouting 'Please sign this.' Usually, supporters say 'Please sign this' politely when they approach the leader; they don't shout it."

She added, "These days, the atmosphere is more about saying 'Stay strong, Leader' to encourage him," and noted, "It was different from how other supporters behave."

Regarding the situation when the suspect was subdued, she said, "Plainclothes police officers were standing around continuously," and "There were many police officers and reporters nearby, and since security was in place, the suspect just bumped into someone and immediately fell backward."

Furthermore, Jin pointed out the urgent need to strengthen security personnel.

She said, "There were no security guards in front of the leader," and "Detectives or riot police came, but they are not professional security personnel." She criticized, "Professional security guards communicate with Democratic Party staff on site and immediately assess the situation. They respond quickly to problems, but that is not happening now."