Song Young-gil, head of South Korea's ruling Democratic Party, was assaulted Monday with a hammer and sent to the hospital while campaigning for presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap
SEOUL, March 7 (UPI) -- The head of South Korea's ruling Democratic Party, Song Young-gil, was attacked with a hammer Monday while campaigning just two days ahead of a contentious presidential election.
Video footage posted to social media showed an elderly attacker dressed in traditional Korean garb approaching Song from behind and striking him several times in the head with an object in a plastic bag, later revealed to be a hammer. He was quickly restrained by bystanders and detained by police.
Song, who was campaigning in Seoul for candidate Lee Jae-myung when the assault occurred, was taken to a hospital but was not seriously injured. He received stitches and was released.
The assailant is in his 70s and operates a YouTube channel, according to news agency Yonhap. He was filming himself and shouting critically about joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea before the attack, eyewitnesses said.
"Election violence is terrorism against democracy," President Moon Jae-in said in a statement after the assault. "It should never happen. Hate and violence cannot change the world."
Both main camps in Wednesday's election were quick to condemn the attack. The Democratic Party called the attack "a serious threat to democracy" and said in a statement that Lee had spoken to Song on the phone.
A spokesperson for opposition People Power Party candidate Yoon Suk-yeol expressed "serious concerns about violent acts just two days ahead of the presidential election."
"[We] are firmly opposed to any violent acts that threaten democracy," the spokesperson said in a statement.
Song said in a Facebook post hours after the attack that he was recovering.
"I can endure it," he wrote. "It's good that the young people who were with me didn't get hurt."
Wednesday's presidential election remains an extremely tight race. The campaign season has been marred by mudslinging and scandals that have left voters with majority-unfavorable ratings for both candidates.
South Korean presidents are only allowed to serve a single five-year term and cannot be re-elected. Having taken office in 2017, Moon is unable to run again.
