Anti-American activist who slashed face of ambassador is jailed for 12 years

An anti-American activist who slashed and seriously injured the U.S. ambassador to South Korea has been jailed for 12 years. Kim Ki-jong was convicted of attempted murder, assaulting a foreign envoy and obstruction by a Seoul court on Friday. Prosecutors had previously asked for a 15-year prison term for his attack on Mark Lippert during a breakfast forum in March.

He has shown no repentance, attempting to justify his actions throughout the trial

Seoul court official

The attack left deep gashes on Mr Lippert’s face and arm and he was treated for five days at a Seoul hospital. Kim told police that his assault was a protest over annual American-South Korean military drills but that he did not intend to kill the ambassador. Police said Kim was attempting to kill the envoy because he knifed him more than twice with a force that was enough to penetrate the ambassador’s arm as he tried to block the attack. Kim, who once set himself on fire in a protest over a rape and hurled a lump of concrete at the Japanese envoy in 2010, was cleared of a charge of assisting North Korea.

south korea Asia-Pacific