Party spokesman Kwon Chil-seung told reporters that Mr Lee, 59, was taken to hospital for surgery and is recovering and conscious in the intensive care unit.

Mr Lee was attacked in the southern city of Busan while touring the site of a proposed new airport and speaking to journalists and supporters. Video footage shows the suspect approaching Mr Lee, asking for an autograph, then lunging at him and stabbing him in the neck.

Mr. Lee collapsed in pain. Photos show Mr. Lee lying on the ground, eyes closed and bleeding, with a handkerchief pressed to his neck.

Mr. Lee was airlifted back to the capital Seoul after receiving emergency treatment in Busan and undergoing a two-hour surgery at Seoul National University Hospital.

Video footage shows the attacker being quickly subdued by party officials and police.

Son Je-han, a Busan police official, said the attacker was born in 1957 and used an 18-centimeter knife bought online. The suspect's identity and motive are under investigation.

Mai Anh (according to Reuters)