On Thursday, January 25, Bae Hyun-jin, a representative of the People Power Party, fell victim to a violent assault by a teenager.

Bae was hospitalized after being struck in the head with a brick in Gangnam-gu.

This incident comes just a month after a stabbing targeting the opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung.

The continuation of such attacks is creating heightened concerns, particularly with South Korea’s general election scheduled for April.

Although a surgeon at SoonChunHyang Hospital reported that Bae’s injury was not fatal, she did suffer a 1-centimeter tear in her scalp.

An unnamed official from Bae Hyun-jin’s office revealed that she remained in the hospital due to ongoing dizziness and additional pain as of Friday, January 26.

This attack has raised alarm, prompting reactions from figures such as President Yoon Suk Yeol, who called it an act of terrorism.

President Yoon emphasized that when people attack representatives like politicians, it is the same as terrorism against the people.

National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo echoed President Yoon’s sentiments, and stated that such terrorist actions cannot be accepted or ignored and that they are becoming a threat to democracy.

Another leader from the Democratic Party of Korea, Hong Ihk-pyo, added on, strongly condemning the attacks and mentioning that they were clearly acts of political terror.

He indicated that authorities have been informed and are taking on further actions to respond to the continuous assaults on politicians.

The attack on Bae Hyun-jin marks the second of its kind before the upcoming general election, following the assault on Lee Jae-myung, who was stabbed in the neck on January 2.

Following surgery, Lee was released from the hospital.

Oh Yoon-sung, a professor at SoonChunHyang University, explained that the attack on Bae seemed like a copied version of the one on Lee, possibly for attention-seeking purposes.

He stressed the need for preventive measures against future attacks, especially during the election period.

The unidentified assailant, reported to be a 15-year-old teenager, has been sent to a mental health facility.

Police revealed the assailant’s history of mental health issues, attributing the attack to these challenges.

Authorities are currently investigating the assailant’s messages, social media, and criminal records.

In an interview at SoonChunHyang Hospital, Bae expressed her desire for the attacker to face legal charges.

Yuin Kim

Grade 8

Yongsan International School of Seoul