North Korea
has said the brutal knife attack on an American ambassador in Seoul is
'just punishment' for US' decision to hold joint military exercises with
South Korea.
This
morning, Mark Lippert was left with a gaping wound on the side of his
face after a furious activist slashed it open with a knife.
He
needed 80 stitches to fix the damage caused by the attack in broad
daylight as he attended a breakfast meeting Thursday morning in Seoul.
Both
his home country and South Korea condemned the attacks but North
Korea's KCNA news agency described it as an 'expression of resistance'.
And
in a brief statement, it said the attack 'reflected public opinion in
South Korea' and referred to the weapon used as the 'knife of justice'.
Korean
media reported that someone yelled 'North Korea and South Korea should
be unified' and 'no to war training!' before the bloodied Ambassador was
seen leaving the Sejong performing-arts centre around 7.40am local
time.
The attacker appears to have slashed Lippert on the right cheek and left wrist.
The
State Department says the injuries are non-life-threatening and that
Lippert is in stable condition after undergoing surgery at a nearby
hospital.
'It is regrettable that an incident like this took place,' South Korean Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo said after the attack.
A
55-year-old 'pro-North Korea activist' name Kim Ki-jong was arrested
immediately after the attack, and video shows the suspect in a salmon
colored jacket being wrestled to the ground.
Horrific: The face of the U.S.
Ambassador needed 80 stitches after it was slashed open by a man who
reportedly yelled 'North Korea and South Korea should be unified'
Bloodied: U.S.
Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert was attacked by a knife-wielding
assailant before a morning lecture in Seoul on Thursday
Weapon: Police found and bagged the knife used by a 'pro-North Korea' activist to carve open Ambassador Lippert's face
Korean tensions:
Someone shouted 'North Korea and South Korea should be unified' before
the ambassador was seen being escorted out of the Sejong Center around
7:40am
Suspect in custody: A 55-year-old man identified as Kim Ki-jong (pictured) was arrested after the attack
Opposition: Kim (pictured) is believed
to have shouted his disgust at the joint United States - North Korean
military drills that began on Monday
Caught: Earlier in the day, Kim was caught on CCTV heading to the event where he attacked the U.S. Ambassador
Suspect in custody: A 55-year-old man
identified as Kim Ki-jong (pictured) was arrested after the attack.
Police say he shouted opposition to the joint U.S.-South Korean military
drills that started on Monday
Neutralised:
Emergency services have said the injuries inflicting on the Ambassador
by the 55-year-old 'pro-North Korea activist' named Kim Ki-jong are not
life threatening but he will need surgery
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