The Gadeokdo Terror Task Force concluded there is no evidence of accomplices or backing forces behind the knife attack on Lee Jae-myung [1].
The findings resolve a high-profile investigation into whether a political motive or organized group coordinated the assault on the then-Democratic Party leader. The results suggest the event was an isolated incident rather than a broader conspiracy.
The attack occurred in January 2024 [1] on Gadeokdo Island in Busan, South Korea [1]. The assailant was identified as a 60-year-old man named Kim [2], who was apprehended at the scene [2].
Investigators spent six months reviewing the case before releasing their final report [1]. The Gadeokdo Terror Task Force looked for evidence of "back-door" forces or organized groups that may have directed the assailant's actions.
"There is no evidence to specify backing forces," a Police National Investigation Headquarters spokesperson said [1].
The task force said that the investigation concluded the act was carried out by the individual alone [1]. The report clarifies that no external entities provided support, or coordination, for the attack on Lee [1].
The investigation focused on the movements and communications of Kim to determine if he had ties to political extremists or foreign agents. However, the evidence did not support those theories, leading to the final conclusion that the perpetrator acted without assistance [1].
“There is no evidence to specify backing forces”
The conclusion that the attack was a lone-wolf incident reduces the immediate likelihood of a wider organized conspiracy targeting South Korean political leadership. By ruling out systemic backing, the investigation shifts the focus from institutional security failures to the unpredictability of individual actors in a highly polarized political climate.
