South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was on Tuesday, January 2, airlifted to hospital in Seoul after he was stabbed in the neck by a knife-wielding man during a visit to the southeastern port city of Busan.

According to reports, Lee, who heads the main opposition Democratic Party, was stabbed on the left side of his neck by a man who lunged out of the crowd as he was walking with journalists on Tuesday morning. Emergency officials said he is not in a critical condition, although his exact status is unknown.

Lee, who narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election, sustained a 1cm laceration on the left side of his neck, reports said.

Democratic Party party spokesman Kwon Chil-seung said the 59-year-old politician was flown to Seoul National University in the capital, after receiving emergency treatment at Pusan National University Hospital.

According to reports, medical staff at the latter hospital suspected damage to a jugular vein that carries blood from the head to the heart. "There is concern that there could be large haemorrhage or additional haemorrhage, according to medical staff,” Kwon said.

The attack, seen in video footage and photographs, unfolded while Lee was touring the site of a proposed airport in Busan.

The assailant, wearing a paper crown reading "I’m Lee Jae-myung,” initially approached the politician asking for an autograph.

Videos circulated on social media showed the suspect being chased and tackled by several people, apparently including plainclothes police officers.