The United States ambassador to South Korea was attacked on Thursday morning in Seoul by a man wielding a knife.
Ambassador Mark Lippert was attending a breakfast meeting at a performing-arts center in Seoul when lone attacker wielding a 10-inch knife slashed his face and arm. Lippert was bleeding from his face and his arm as he was rushed to a hospital.
Lippert underwent surgery for cut wounds to his face and his arm. He needed as many as 80 stitches but by Friday was “doing well” and recovering.
Doing well&in great spirits! Robyn, Sejun, Grigsby & I – deeply moved by the support! Will be back ASAP to advance US-ROK alliance! 같이 갑시다!
— Mark Lippert (@mwlippert) March 5, 2015
The attacker was believed to have acted alone. The attacker, Kim Ki-jong, is a self described political activist who believes that American interference was preventing the reunification of the two Koreas. Thursday’s attack was not the first time that Kim had taken drastic actions. He had previously been arrested in 2010 after he threw a chunk of concrete at Toshinori Shigeie, the Japanese ambassador to South Korea. Later he was cited in 2011 after trying to erect a memorial alter to Kim Jong-il in Seoul.
The attacker is not believed to have been sent or trained by North Korea. The secluded nation, however, applauded Kim stating that his attack was a “just punishment for US warmongers… [Kim] boldly attacked Lippert, punishing him with knife slashes of justice” (Korean Central News Agency)
US Secretary of State John Kerry defiantly condemned the attack in a statement, saying that “[The United States would not be] intimidated or deterred by threats or by anybody who harms any American diplomats”
Joshua Bi is the Online Editor-in-Chief of Pulse Magazine.