U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert was in stable condition on Thursday after being cut on the face and wrist by a pro-North Korean activist who said he was against the ongoing military drills by Seoul and Washington, South Korean and U.S. officials said.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lippert was rushed to Severance Hospital in western Seoul and underwent an operation, police said. The attacker was arrested on the spot, with the police considering various charges for the warrant, including attempted murder.
In a statement by U.S. State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf, the U.S. said it "strongly condemns this act of violence."
South Korean President Park Geun-hye also denounced the violence as an "attack on the alliance between South Korea and the U.S."
Seoul's foreign ministry said South Korea and the U.S. have agreed not to let the incident harm their alliance.