South Korean opposition leader transferred to general ward from ICU

South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party leader, Lee Jae-myung, who was stabbed in the neck while visiting Busan, was moved from the intensive care unit at Seoul National University Hospital to a general ward on Wednesday, local media Yonhap news agency reported.

Surgeons operated on Lee for more than two hours late on Tuesday.

"The act of terror against Chairman Lee Jae-myung was clearly a challenge against democracy and a threat against democracy," Democratic Party floor leader Hong Ik-pyo said at a party leadership council meeting.

He urged a speedy investigation and tougher security for high-profile political figures, echoing renewed questions about the safety on campaign trails in a country with a history of political violence despite tight restrictions on gun ownership.

Jin Jeong-hwa, a party supporter who was a witness at the scene of the stabbing, said the incident clearly showed the need for stronger and professional security protection for political leaders, not simply police who are deployed to monitor.

"People like opposition leaders really need a dedicated security detail," Jin said, adding that it was clear from his experience at political events that Lee was very much exposed to personal safety threats.

Lee, who lost the 2022 presidential election, had been rallying the party to retain the parliamentary majority it holds against South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol's conservatives.

South Korea holds a pivotal election on April 10, where the conservatives will try to win back a majority for the first time since 2016 and help Yoon's policies, including tax cuts, deregulation and social reforms.

The attack against Lee shocked his party and his rivals alike, who condemned all violence against political figures.

Yoon again condemned the attack as "terror" and said: "It is an enemy of liberal democracy," according to his office. He wished Lee a speedy recovery, it said.

The suspect, who was quickly subdued by party members and police officers at the scene, was a man born in 1957 from the central region who may have been in Busan for days, planning the attack with an 18-centimeter camping knife, police and news reports said.

He remains in police custody. The police have not commented on the details of the investigation, including a possible motive.

(With input from agencies)