North Korea Praises Knife Attack on U.S. Ambassador to South Korea
U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert was attacked by a knife-wielding political fanatic at a breakfast forum in Seoul on March 5, and required two hours of surgery during which 80 stitches were used to close wounds in his face.
The attacker, who was apprehended, was identified as Kim Ki-jong, a member of a group of Korean nationalists opposed to the U.S. military presence South Korea.
The breakfast event at which Lippert was attacked was hosted by the Korea Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, which has promoted better relations between the two Koreas. Kim is a member of the council, but there is no evidence that the group sympathized with his violent behavior.
After the attack, North Korea’s state-controlled media said that Kim’s “knife slashes of justice” were “a deserved punishment on war maniac U.S.” and were a reflection of anti-U.S. protests staged in the South against...