Man stabs himself in front of Seoul Mayor

Seoul Feb 24 (IANS) An elderly man on Friday stabbed himself while Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon was speaking at the opening of an exhibition South Korean officials said.

The 79-year old man identified only by his last name Lee approached Mayor Park with a weapon and stabbed himself in the abdomen after shouting Can you say you are a mayor? and I need to die according to the witnesses.

He was drunk when the incident took place Yonhap News Agency reported.

According to the police Lee reportedly had conflicts with a district office after the city government decided not to carry out a development project.

The amount of compensation suggested by the district office fell short of what was asked by a development committee headed by Lee.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital and is in stable condition the police added.

--IANS
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