North Korea calls stabbing of U.S. ambassador "knife attack of justice" U.S. ambassador to South Korea attacked, but in stable condition Suspect yelled anti-U.S. sentiments during transfer to hospital

A man opposed to the
joint South Korea-U.S. military drills attacked the
American ambassador in Seoul, slashing his face
and arms as he was about to give a speech
Thursday morning.
North Korea quickly called the stabbing a "knife
attack of justice," and said it reflected "anti-U.S.
sentiment" in South Korea.
The U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Mark
Lippert, was in stable condition after undergoing
more than two hours of surgery and 80 stitches
to his face. He will likely remain hospitalized for
three to four days, Dr. Jung Nam-shik at Yonsei
Severance Hospital said.
Police identified the suspect as Kim Ki-Jong, a
55-year-old man with a history of unpredictable
behavior.
In 2010, he received a suspended two-year prison
sentence for throwing a piece of concrete at a
Japanese Ambassador to South Korea, according
to the Yonhap news agency.
The motive for his attack Thursday? He wanted to
an end to the South Korea-U.S. military drills to
better North-South relations, police said. The
drills are held annually and are met with harsh
criticism from North Korea.
Pyongyang called the attack "just punishment for
U.S. warmongers," according to its official news
agency, KCNA.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye, on the
other hand, condemned the incident.
"This incident is not only a physical attack on the
U.S. ambassador, but an attack on the South
Korea-U.S. alliance and it can never be tolerated."
The attack
Lippert attended the event organized by the Korea
Council For Reconciliation and Cooperation, and
the suspect in the attack was a member of the
council, said local police chief Yoon Myung-seon.
The organization advocates peaceful reunification
between the two Koreas. Kim was one of its 181
members, all of whom were invited to the event.
There was no request from the U.S. Embassy for
security at the event, Seoul police said. There
were three police officers on duty at the entrance
and 15 more on standby, police said during a
news conference.
The attacker, who was seated at another table,
ran to the ambassador's right side yelling
something that sounded like anti-U.S. sentiments.
"When the man jumped on the ambassador, I
stood up and jumped on the man and they both
fell on the ground," a witness, Jang Yoon Seok
told CNN affiliate YTN. "Luckily I got on top of
the man's back and could press him to the floor.
Then others came to hold him on the floor."
Jang said he later saw the knife on the table,
which had a wooden handle and did not look like
a sophisticated weapon. Seoul police said a knife,
about 10 inches long, was used in the assault and
the suspect brought it from home.
Videos showed the suspect pinned on the floor,
rolled into a blanket and carried out of the
building.
He was heard shouting, "The South Korea-U.S.
military drills must stop."
The joint South Korea-U.S. military drills began
earlier this week.

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