Who is the South Korean leader who was stabbed? Is he still alive?

A knife wielding man stabbed South Korean Democratic Party opposition leader Lee Jae myung in the neck Tuesday. The man asked for an autograph then lunged at Lee, 59, per Reuters . A motive isn’t yet known. Democratic Party spokesperson Kwon Chil seung called the stabbing an act of “terrorism.” Lee is now recovering from vein reconstruction surgery, and CNN reported that a small crowd had gathered outside the hospital in Seoul in support.

President Yoon Suk Yeol has also expressed concern for Lee, according to The Associated Press . Lee lost the 2022 South Korean presidential election to Yoon by 0.7 percentage points. CNN explained the political backdrop of the attack on Lee. “South Korea’s politics have been riven by deep polarization between conservative and liberal sides, particularly in recent years which saw former President Park Geun hye jailed on abuse of power and bribery charges before being pardoned and released in 2021,” CNN reported.

Police arrested the attacker on the scene and are investigating him, per NPR . South Korea’s general elections are in three months..