Busan: The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld lower courts' decision to impose a 15-year prison sentence on the individual responsible for attacking opposition leader Lee Jae-myung with a knife.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the 68-year-old assailant, identified by the surname Kim, was charged with stabbing Democratic Party chair Lee Jae-myung in the neck during a visit to Busan in January of the previous year. Kim stated that the attack was an attempt to prevent Lee from ascending to the presidency. The assault resulted in Lee being hospitalized for over a week.

Both a district court and a court of appeals had previously sentenced Kim to a 15-year prison term. The Supreme Court concurred, stating that the sentence was appropriate given the circumstances of the crime, including Kim's motive, the method of the attack, and the consequences.