The annual joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea has triggered  political tensions that led to the attack of U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert by an armed assailant Thursday in Seoul.

Lippert, who was attending a breakfast function, was rushed to the hospital after he was injured by a razor-wielding man who was shouting an anti-war slogan as he attacked the ambassador. He underwent a two-and-a-half hour surgery as his wound required 80 stitches.

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Doctors have declared Lippert's condition to be now stable.

The U.S. government, thru U. S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf, said it condemns this act of violence. President Barack Obama, on the other hand, called Lippert to wish him a speedy recovery

Police authorities identified the assailant as Kim Ki-jong, 55,  who also tried to attack the Japanese Ambassador to Seoul in 2010. Kim threw a piece of concrete at the Japanese ambassador and was given a jail term.

Kim was reportedly screaming "South and North Korea should be reunified," when he attacked Lippert and was immediately taken into police custody.

The incident was first reported by the South Korean news channel YTN TV, which carried a picture of the 42-year-old ambassador who suffered injuries on his right cheek and hand.

Lippert took his post in Seoul last October. He was a U.S. Senate aide to Obama and served during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. 

North Korea and South Korea have long been divided and the U.S. stations 28,000 troops in South Korea as protection from North Korea. However, the U.S. presence is seen by some Koreans as a barrier toward the unification of North and South Korea.

Despite the incident, the drills which will run for eight weeks will continue, according to a South Korean defense ministry spokesman.

Tagsmilitary exercise, U.S. ambassador, Mark Lippert, knife attack, Kim Ki-jong