South Korean ruling party lawmaker attacked in Seoul, aide says

A South Korean ruling party lawmaker, Bae Hyun-jin, has been rushed to the hospital after an attack in Seoul’s posh Gangnam district Thursday afternoon.

Bae, a member of the People Power Party and a former TV journalist, was hit with a palm-sized rock on the back of her head, an aide said.

“She is conscious but is in shock after what happened. She is hospitalized after treatment and still suffering from dizziness due to the attack,” Na Kyung-beom, aide to Bae, confirmed to ABC News. The attacker had asked if she was Bae before knocking her down.

People Power Party lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin speaks at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on May 31, 2023.

Footage from a security camera viewed by ABC News appears to show a man waiting for Bae outside a building. As the politician entered, the man asked, “Are you lawmaker Bae Hyun-Jin?”

She confirmed and immediately the man pulled a blunt object from his pocket and began striking her head. The video appears to show the man hitting Bae more than a dozen times before someone comes from inside the building to stop the attacker.

Police arrested the assailant on the scene who reportedly claimed that he was 15 years old.

Bae is being treated at Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital in central Seoul. Her injury is reportedly not life-threatening.

This is the second attack on politicians this month ahead of highly contentious parliamentary elections scheduled for April.

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed with a 5-inch customized blade by an assailant in Busan on Jan. 2.

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South Korea’s presidential office put out an official comment on the attack, wishing Bae a fast recovery.

“This incident should not have happened and a strict investigation should be conducted,” the office said.