SEOUL, South Korea — 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.
Go Bum-joon/AP
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.