Police have released a man in his 70s who was detained on suspicion of aiding and abetting the suspect in the stabbing attack against opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, after concluding that his involvement was minor, officials said Tuesday.

The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency had placed the man under emergency detention two days earlier on suspicion of assisting the 67-year-old assailant, identified by his surname Kim, in the crime, even though he was aware of the attack plan beforehand.

Kim stabbed Lee, chairman of the Democratic Party (DP), in the neck with a camping knife in the southeastern city of Busan last Tuesday and left the politician hospitalized after surgery to repair a major vein in his neck.

Ahead of the crime, Kim had written an “excuse letter” to explain the motive of his crime and his political beliefs, and the 70-something man agreed to send the letter on Kim’s behalf by mail to an unspecified location, according to police.

Police officials said the man was set free in consideration of
his minor involvement in the crime, his old age and the absence of fears of him destroying evidence or fleeing.

Police believe the man was not directly involved in the stabbing attack.

Source: Yonhap News Agency