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The US ambassador, Mark Lippert was slashed in the face early Thursday, while speaking at a breakfast forum in South Korea. As per US and Korean officials, his injuries are not severe. He is admitted in a hospital at Seoul and is said to be in stable condition after surgery

The former US Navy SEAL was cut on the right cheek by a man with a blade.

The assailant has been identified by cops and is in the custody. The culprit, KimKi-Jong, 55, screamed, "South and North Korea should be reunified" as he launched the attack.

A witness, Ahn Yang-ok, the head of the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations, told reporters that Lippert had just been seated for breakfast ahead of the lecture organized by the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation when a man ran toward the ambassador from a nearby table.

President Obama, contacted Lippert after the attack to express his thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery, the White House said.

Lippert, 42 has been ambassador to South Korea since October 2014. Prior to that, he held several senior positions in the Defense Department, including chief of staff to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, and assistant secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs.

-Smrutirekha