US ambassador to South Korea needs 80 stitches after being slashed in face and wrists by knifeman

US ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert was attacked with a knife while attending at lecture in Seoul.

17:33 05 March 2015

US ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert was photographed bleeding heavily after he was attacked with a knife while giving a lecture in Seoul.

He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital while the attacker was immediately arrested and taken into custody.

The aggressor was later identified as Kim Ki-jon who said “No to war training!” before he carried out the attack. During the attack, he screamed: ““South and North Korea should be reunified!”

In 2010, Kim also tried to attack the Japanese ambassador to Seoul by throwing a piece of concrete. He was given a suspended jail sentence.

Witnesses said that Kim used a small fruit knife in the attack, which occurred just across the street of heavily guarded US embassy.

Meanwhile, Mr Lippert, 42, became ambassador last year and has been mostly popular during his time in Seoul. He and his wife welcomed their son in the city and gave him a Korean middle name.