A man who stabbed South Korea's opposition leader in the neck earlier this year was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Friday, court officials say.
The knife-wielding man attacked Lee Jae-myung, head of the Democratic Party of Korea, in January after asking for his autograph at an event in the south-eastern city of Busan.
The attack reportedly left Mr Lee bleeding and slumped on the ground. He was hospitalised for eight days receiving surgery and other treatments.
Police said the 67-year-old man, whose name has not been released, told investigators he wanted to kill Mr Lee to prevent him from becoming South Korea's president.
He said he was unhappy with the lack of progress in corruption investigations concerning the politician. Mr Lee is on trial for bribery charges he denies.
While leaving a Seoul hospital later in January, Mr Lee expressed hopes for an end to "politics of hatred" in South Korea.
The Busan District Court say the man was handed the prison term after being found guilty for an attempted murder and a violation of an election law.
The verdict calls the attack "a grave challenge" to the country's representative democracy and an act that "significantly destroys social consensus and confidence on the basic liberal democratic principles", according to Yonhap news agency.
The verdict reportedly claims the attacker had long loathed Mr Lee because of differences of political opinions, had practised stabbing his neck in advance and followed him during five public events.
Prosecutors initially sought a 20-year prison sentence for the attacker.
The court says both the man and prosecutors have one week to appeal.
Attack on Lee was an 'act of terror', president says
Democratic Party officials earlier confirmed the attacker became a member last year.
The ruling People Power Party say he is currently not their member but media reports say the man, only identified by his surname Kim, was previously affiliated with the party's predecessor.
The Democratic Party of South Korea is the country's biggest political party.
Mr Lee, a former provincial governor, lost his presidential bid in 2022 to Yoon Suk Yeol by the narrowest margin recorded in a South Korea presidential election.
Mr Yoon previously called the attack on Mr Lee an "act of terror" and a challenge to democracy.
Surveys have showed Mr Lee is an early favourite for the 2027 presidential election. Mr Yoon, current president and former top prosecutor, is by law barred from seeking re-election.
The man attacked Mr Lee ahead of South Korea's crucial parliamentary elections in April.
The results saw Mr Lee's Democratic Party and other opposition parties winning a massive victory against President Yoon's conservative governing party.
AP/ABC
