Reports from January 3 reveal that a man in his 60s, who stabbed Democratic Party representative Lee Jae Myung, disclosed his political affiliations during the Park Geun Hye administration. The assailant's past includes a pattern of joining and leaving conservative parties.
The man confessed to joining the Democratic Party last year with ulterior motives, expressing dissatisfaction with Representative Lee Jae Myung. He aimed to monitor the representative's schedule closely, hinting at premeditation for the attack.
Authorities are now seeking a search warrant to investigate his party affiliations thoroughly. They aim to determine if the stabbing was a political hate crime, particularly given the suspect's involvement in various political groups and the specific targeting of Lee Jae Myung. The police are keen on confirming his current and past party memberships, delving into communication records for potential evidence of conspiracy or solo planning.
Amidst uncertainties and questions about the credibility of the suspect's statement, the police are proceeding to secure a search warrant in accordance with Article 24, Paragraph 4 of the Political Parties Act. This move is critical for a deeper investigation into party membership lists and communication records to ascertain whether the attack was an individual act or involved broader collusion.
The Democratic Party has indicated its readiness to assist in confirming the suspect's party membership following an official request from law enforcement. A representative from the Chungcheongnam branch highlighted the need for an official request from law enforcement to proceed, respecting the Personal Information Protection Act and the Political Parties Act.
The investigation is gaining momentum with a search warrant issued for the suspect's residence and vehicle. The police, bolstered by the suspect's statement indicating a murderous intent, are preparing to request an arrest warrant. The assailant, who attacked Lee Jae Myung with a modified hiking knife, has been interrogated for over six hours on attempted murder charges and is awaiting further questioning. Authorities are intensifying their efforts, treating the incident as a deliberate attempt at murder.
Interesting that this interrogation, of a real attempted murder suspect, only lasted 6 hours. Contrast that with the experiences of Lee Sun-kyun (19 hours!) and Yoo Ah-in where they were interrogated starting one day and carrying on overnight ending the following day. I can't help but feel that the police have their priorities all wrong.
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