South Korea’s opposition leader Lee Jae-myung has been stabbed in the neck during a visit to Busan, police have said.

He was attacked as he toured a construction site at a new airport, said the city’s emergency office.

It said Lee – who heads the main opposition Democratic Party – was conscious and not critically injured but his exact condition is unknown.

He was taken to a local university hospital for treatment.

Police said an unidentified man approached the politician for an autograph before lunging in with a 18cm long knife he had bought online.

The 67-year-old man was quickly restrained and arrested. He later refused to identify himself or say why he attacked Lee, according to the Yonhap news agency.

YTN television showed Lee grimacing and collapsing to the ground, with other images showing people pressing a handkerchief to the side of his neck.

It is believed Lee’s jugular vein was damaged and there was concern over the large amount of bleeding, party spokesperson Kwon Chil-seung told reporters.

He had reportedly been left with a gash of about 1cm.

The Democratic Party called the incident “a terrorist attack on Lee and a serious threat to democracy” and called on police to make a thorough and swift investigation.

Lee lost the 2022 presidential election to Yoon Suk-yeol by a narrow margin.

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He is currently on trial for alleged bribery – which he denies – relating to a development project when he was mayor of Seongnam near Seoul.

The liberal is also known for his outspoken style, with supporters seeing him as an anti-elitist crusader, but critics view him as a populist who stokes divisions and demonises conservative rivals.

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President Yoon condemned the attack and expressed deep concern for Lee’s condition, said a spokesperson.

South Korea has strict gun laws but there is a history of political violence using other weapons.

Lee’s predecessor, Song Young-gil, suffered a head wound when he was attacked with a blunt object at a public event in 2022.

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