Dog Meat Offered To US Ambassador Mark Lippert By South Korean Man Wishing Him Speedy Recovery

A South Korean man tried to offer dog meat to Mark Lippert, the American ambassador to South Korea, after he was attacked by a knife-wielding man on Thursday, in a gesture wishing him speedy recovery. The man, who appeared to be in his 70s, arrived at Seoul's Severance Hospital with a package on Friday to serve Lippert dog meat and seaweed soup, reports said, citing an official.

Offering dog meat to patients is a South Korean tradition, and the man asked hospital authorities to deliver the meal to Lippert, so that he could heal faster, The Associated Press reported, citing an official. However, the hospital rejected the food in keeping with its in-house rules and for security reasons. The U.S. envoy was attacked earlier this week by Kim Ki-jong, a man known to be a North Korea sympathizer, and sustained wounds to his face and wrist, and received 80 stitches in a two-hour surgery.

Lippert, who is reportedly a dog lover and has been seen several times walking his basset hound, Grigsby, near his house, is recovering from his wounds, while authorities investigate Kim’s links to North Korea, and seek a charge of attempted murder against him. Kim had reportedly attacked the American diplomat to show resentment against the ongoing joint military drills between the U.S. and South Korea. The North, reacting to the attack, had called it a “just punishment.”

Lippert is expected to stay in the hospital until Wednesday, hospital spokesman Kim Whi-yoon, said, according to AP, which added that the stitches from Lippert’s face would mostly be removed on Monday and Tuesday, through different procedures. However, Lippert may continue to face sensory problems in his left hand for several months, the report added.