U.S. ambassador to S. Korea injured, Washington condemns act of violence

U.S. envoy to South Korea Mark Lippert was attacked by an armed man and injured in downtown Seoul on Thursday morning, local media reported.

The suspected assailant, identified as 55-year-old Kim Ki-jong, cut the envoy's cheek and wrist with a razor blade at around 7:40 a.m. local time when the envoy was preparing for a lecture at a venue in Sejong Cultural Center in central Seoul, according to the police.

The Yonhap news agency quoted Kim as saying that he strongly protested the ongoing military drills between the U.S. and South Korea after he was arrested on the spot by the police.

Lippert was quickly sent to a nearby hospital and is in stable condition, the U.S. embassy said.

After the attack, the White House condemned the act of violence, saying that President Barack Obama had called the ambassador and wished him speedy recovery.

In July 2010, Kim received a suspended two-year prison term for throwing a piece of concrete at a Japanese ambassador to Seoul, the Yonhap reported. Enditem