South Korean lawmaker suffers head injury in latest political attack

Violent incidents raise concerns over growing polarization

South Korea's National Assembly. A member from President Yoon Suk Yeol's People Power Party was attacked with what appeared to be a rock on Jan. 25. © Reuters

STEVEN BOROWIEC, Nikkei staff writer

January 25, 2024 19:39 JST

SEOUL -- A politician was attacked in the South Korean capital on Thursday, local media reported, the second assault on a political figure in the country in less than a month.

Bae Hyun-jin, a lawmaker for the ruling People Power Party, was walking in the southern Seoul district of Gangnam on Thursday at around 5 p.m. when a male passerby approached her, Yonhap News Agency reported. He asked if she was Bae Hyun-jin, then struck her on the head with what appeared to be a rock.