Election Terror in Korea

From Yonhap:

South Korea’s opposition leader Park Geun-hye was attacked by a 50-year-old drunk man and was taken to hospital, party officials said Saturday.

Rep. Park, chairwoman of the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP), was canvassing for Oh Se-hoon, GNP candidate for Seoul mayor, in Sinchon in Seoul when the man, identified only by his surname Ji, allegedly slashed the right side of her face with a utility knife.

“Park had an approximately 10-centimeter cut to the face from ear to jawline. It seems like a utility knife was used, given the shape of the cut,” Kim Hyeon-jong, a doctor on duty at Yonsei University’s Severance Hospital, said.

She received 17 stitches in an operation and her life is not in danger, according to the doctor.

Two heavily intoxicated suspects were detained by GNP officials and citizens at the scene and taken to a nearby police station.

“It appears to be election terror,” Rep. Lee Ke-jin, spokesman of the GNP, said in a telephone call with Yonhap News Agency.

The government should take responsibility for the lack of security, another high profile GNP official said.

Rep. Chung Dong-young, chairman of the ruling Uri Party, said that the assault was an “unforgivable act” and that it should be dealt with sternly.

“It is very shocking. I am really worried about her health,” Chung said.

Park is the daughter of former Korean President Park Chung-hee.  She is one of the leaders in the conservative movement in Korea and a possible candidate to replace the current liberal President Roh Moo-hyun in national elections next year.

I find it interesting that the ruling party chairman Chung Dong-young thinks this stabbing should be handled “sternly” when he could care less about the police and soldiers in Pyeongtaek being beaten and stabbed by his supporters.