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South Korean opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck on Tuesday while talking to reporters in the port city of Busan, AFP reported.

Lee was walking in a crowd of journalists after visiting the site of a new airport when a man in front of him lunged and struck him in the neck, footage on South Korean television channels showed.

The 59-year-old was seen collapsing to the ground as people rushed to aid him. One man was seen pressing a handkerchief on Lee's neck.

He was "walking to his car while talking to reporters when the attacker asked for his autograph", a witness told local broadcaster YTN, adding that Lee was then struck with what "looked like a knife".

Emergency responders were seen carrying Lee into an ambulance. He was later taken to hospital on a helicopter, according to the Yonhap news agency.

The agency said he was bleeding but conscious as he was transported to the Pusan National University Hospital.

"This is an act of terror against Lee and a serious threat to democracy that should never occur under any circumstances," Kwon Chil-seung, an MP from Lee's Democratic Party, told reporters outside the hospital.

"As to Lee's condition, we are waiting for the medical staff's assessment," he added, demanding a "thorough" police investigation into the attack, according to AFP.

Police in Busan said Lee suffered a "one-centimetre laceration on his neck" and that he "remains conscious and bleeding is minor", according to South Korean news outlet Chosun Ilbo.

TV footage showed police officials wrestling the attacker to the ground. He was seen wearing a hat with Lee's name on it.

Yonhap said the assailant has been arrested.

Presidential contender

Lee lost in 2022 to conservative Yoon Suk Yeol in the tightest presidential race in South Korea's history.

Yoon expressed "deep concern over the safety of Lee Jae-myung upon hearing of the attack", his spokeswoman Kim Soo-kyung said.

 "Yoon emphasised our society should never tolerate this kind of act of violence under any circumstances."

 A former child factory worker who suffered an industrial accident as a teenage school drop-out, Lee rose to political stardom partly by playing up his rags-to-riches tale.

He is widely expected to run for president again in 2027, and recent polls have indicated that he remains a strong contender.

But Lee's bid for the top office has been overshadowed by a string of scandals.

He avoided arrest in September when a court dismissed a request from the prosecution for him to be taken into custody pending trial on various corruption charges.

Lee still faces trial on charges of bribery in connection with a firm that is suspected of illicitly transferring $8 million to North Korea.

He is also accused of breaching his duties, allegedly resulting in a loss of 20 billion won ($15 million) for a company owned by Seongnam city during his term as its mayor.

Lee has denied all allegations against him.

In August last year, he launched a hunger strike against what he called the Yoon government's "incompetent and violent" policies.

He was hospitalized because of fasting-related ailments on September 18 after not eating for 19 days.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Narayan Kaji Shrestha has pledged to take action against anyone found responsible for the Balkumari incident in Lalitpur that resulted in the deaths of two youths and physical loss on Friday.

In a meeting of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, House of Representatives today, the Minister said if anyone is proved guilty in the incident, the government will take actions accordingly.

He apprised the meeting that the government has formed a commission to investigate the incident in accordance with the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 2026 (1969), assuring of impartial and objective investigations.

"The incident is unexpected and regrettable. Anyone found responsible for the incident will be punished. The government is ready and more responsible for not letting such incidents occur," he said.

One million rupees each has been announced for the families of the victims, with efforts underway to provide them additional relief from the EPS Fund and the Foreign Employment Board, according to the Minister who pledges to provide jobs for victim's families as per their competency.

The House of Representatives, State Affairs and Good Governance Committee has directed the government to investigate the role of Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Prakash Jwala and the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security in connection with the incident that took place at Balkumari, Lalitpur last Friday. 

Two youths were killed and Minister Jwala's vehicle was torched in the clash between demonstrators and police.

The Committee at its meeting today also instructed all sides concerned to remain alert and responsible so that such incidents do not recur in the coming days.

Birendra Shah of Chaurpati Rural Municipality-1, Achham and Sujan Raut of Mahabu Rural Municipality-6, Dailekh district died in course of the demonstration over filling up examination forms for the Employment Permit System (EPS) at the EPS Korea Branch Office at Balkumari, Lalitpur. The demonstrators had set the office vehicle used by Minister Jwala on fire in the course of the demonstration.

The government has formed a three-member investigation commission to conduct a fair and objective investigation into the incident. Former High Court former judge Shekhar Poudel heads the probe commission.

Committee president Ramhari Khadka said that the meeting has directed the government to provide additional economic relief and employment opportunities to the families of the deceased.

Similarly, the Committee has instructed the government to provide adequate resources to the security bodies.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Inspector General of Police Basanta Kunwar, Inspector General of the Armed Police Force (APF) Nepal, Raju Aryal, and the Chief of the National Investigation Department, among other officials, were present in the meeting.

The government which has announced reforms in all the state apparatuses from today on cut down on the snack expenditures of the meeting of Council of Ministers.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal informed the meeting of the Council of Ministers held at Singha Durbar this morning that the expenditure on snacks served in the meetings of the Council of Ministers has been cut down, saying the reforms should be initiated from small topics, according to the Prime Minister's Secretariat.

The PM Office stated that approximately Rs 60 thousand was spent on snacks in each meeting of the Council of Ministers. It is said the Council of Ministers meets more than 100 times in a year. Govinda Acharya, the Press Advisor to the Prime Minister, said that around Rs 6 million is saved annually with the cut down on the snack expenses in the meeting of the Council of Ministers.

Normal snacks will be served in the meeting of the Council of Ministers from now on, the PM Secretariat said. Acharya said PM Dahal has started reforms from his own office as minor topics are also considered significant in good governance and reforms.

He added that works related to good governance and improvement would be consistently pursued ahead.

Prime Minister Dahal, who has announced to change the working style of the government, has been reaching the Prime Minister's Office at Singha Durbar at 10 am daily, except on public holidays.  He has been taking daily briefings from various ministries and initiatives for resolving the problems seen in development projects, including the national pride projects, from the Singha Durbar.

Meanwhile, the government's decision to use the Nepal Sambat calendar in all the government documents has been implemented. Acharya, the PM's press advisor, said the Nepal Sambat date has started to be used in the messages of best wishes that the PM has been issuing on various occasions.