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US ambassador in South Korea attacked, hurt during lecture

US Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert got into a car to leave for a hospital in Seoul after being attacked while giving a lecture.Kim Ju-Sung/Yonhap/AP

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — US Ambassador Mark Lippert was attacked by a man wielding a razor and screaming that the rival Koreas should be unified, South Korean police and media said Thursday. TV images showed Lippert bleeding from his head and wrist, but his injuries weren't immediately clear. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

YTN TV reported that the man screamed ''South and North Korea should be reunified'' during the attack. The rival Koreas have been divided for decades along the world's most heavily armed border. The US stations 28,500 troops in South Korea as a deterrent against North Korea, and some South Koreans see the US presence as a barrier toward a unified Korea.

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YTN TV said Lippert's injuries weren't seen as life threatening. Police confirmed that Lippert was attacked and a suspect was detained and being questioned but didn't have other details, including the type of weapon and the extent of Lippert's injuries. YTN said a man only identified by his surname, Kim, was detained after the attack.

Lippert, 42, became ambassador last year and has been mostly popular during his time in Seoul. His wife gave birth here and the couple gave their son a Korean middle name. Lippert was formerly the US Assistant Secretary Defense for Asian affairs.