South Korea Formally Designates 2024 Attack on President Lee Jae-myung as Terrorism

The 2024 knife attack on Lee Jae-myung, then an opposition leader and now South Korea's President, has been officially classified as an act of terrorism. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok announced the decision on January 20, 2026, following a high-level meeting of the National Counterterrorism Committee.

New Legal Ground for President Lee Jae-myung 2024 Terror Case

It's the first time a specific incident has been formally designated as terrorism since the Act on Counter-Terrorism was enacted in 2016. This designation provides a fresh legal basis for an additional investigation into the case, which had been a point of contention between political parties for years.

According to Yonhap, the Democratic Party (DP) previously alleged that the administration of former President Yoon Suk Yeol attempted to downplay the incident. By reclassifying it as terrorism, the current administration aims to address these lingering concerns while strengthening the national security framework.

Strengthening National Safety Measures

On January 2, 2024, Lee was stabbed in the neck by a 67-year-old man during a visit to Busan. The attacker's motives and the thoroughness of the initial probe are expected to be revisited under the new legal framework.