NNA - The man who stabbed South Korea's then-opposition leader Lee Jae-myung in January and left him hospitalised was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Friday, a regional court told AFP. The attacker, identified by local media only by his surname Kim, pretended to be a supporter and stabbed Lee in the neck as the politician was surrounded by journalists at an event held in the southern port city of Busan on January 2. Lee suffered a wound to his jugular vein and underwent emergency surgery, but recovered after being hospitalised for about a week. The attacker, reportedly 67, was "sentenced to 15 years in prison today," Lee Jae-hee, a spokesperson for the Busan District Court, told AFP. Kim had been charged with attempted murder and election law violations, as the attack took place about three months ahead of the April 10 parliamentary elections. Police have said Kim meticulously planned the attack as he wanted to prevent Lee from "becoming president". -- AFP   =================