WASHINGTON

South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was airlifted to the capital Seoul after he was stabbed in the neck in the southern port city of Busan on Tuesday.

South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myun stabbed in the neck during visit to Busan pic.twitter.com/r37oitjsqH

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His Democratic Party called the incident as an "act of political terror."

Lee was stabbed on the left side of his neck during a question-and-answer session with journalists after visiting the construction site of a new airport on Busan's Gadeok Island.

Officials told Seoul-based Yonhap News that the wound on Lee's neck was "not life-threatening" but he was transported to Seoul National University Hospital for "surgery amid fears of additional bleeding."

The opposition party said the surgery was completed but "took longer than expected" and they are "closely following his progress."

"We strongly condemn the act of political terror against Lee," the party said at the hospital, calling for a thorough probe.

Earlier an official at the hospital said "it is fortunate that the damaged area is the jugular vein" since Lee could have immediately died at the scene if the wound had occurred on the carotid artery.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed "deep concern" over safety of Lee.

*Iclal Turan contributed to this story from Washington.