hankyoreh

A local court sentenced a man who attacked the former chairwoman of South Korea's main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) at a campaign rally in May to 11 years of imprisonment on Thursday, calling it a "serious crime disturbing the order of democracy."

The western branch of the Seoul District Court convicted Ji Choong-ho, 50, of slashing Park Geun-hye with a utility knife when she was campaigning in support of the GNP's candidate for the Seoul mayoral post on May 20, leaving an 11-centimeter cut on her face. Ji was arrested at the scene and later charged with attempted murder.

The court held him responsible for infliction of bodily injury, violation of election laws and other charges. It, however, cleared him of attempted murder, citing lack of evidence to prove that he intended to kill Park.

"The method of crime -- slashing a woman's face with a knife -- is extremely vicious and the degree of injury was very serious, too," Judge Kim Yun-gwon said about reasons for handing down such a heavy jail sentence.

"The accused, in particular, shocked many people by carrying out a serious violence targeted at an influential politician during a politically sensitive campaigning period," Kim noted.

"This is a grave crime that disturbs the order of democracy and lays a big obstacle on the way of establishing a right election culture," the judge stressed.

The assault came a few days before the nationwide mayoral and gubernatorial elections on May 31. Ji claimed he committed the attack out of anger at his unfair 14 years of imprisonment despite his innocence and no help from the authorities despite his appeals.

Prosecutors said they found no political motive for the attack after questioning him.

Park successfully underwent a two-hour operation to stitch up the cut, running from her right ear to her jaw, and was released from a hospital nine days after being hospitalized. Last month, she resigned as the GNP chairwoman to prepare for next year's presidential election.

Seoul, Aug. 3 (Yonhap News)