Stranger Walks Up to Diplomat in NYC, Punches Him

Diplomat was punched in the face with no provocation, police say
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 11, 2022 12:22 AM CST
Man Walks Up to South Korean Diplomat in NYC, Breaks His Nose
Stock photo.   (Getty Images / Urilux)

A South Korean diplomat was attacked with no provocation Wednesday in New York City, police say. NYPD officers responded around 8:10pm to reports of an assault in Midtown Manhattan and found the injured 53-year-old. He'd been punched in the face for no reason by a stranger, police say. The male suspect, who said nothing to the victim, fled on foot and has not yet been caught, the Hill reports. The man, who was taken to a hospital with a broken nose, was about a mile from the United Nations headquarters when he was hit, NBC News reports.

"Over the past year, we’ve seen a rise in hate crimes against the [Asian-American Pacific Islander] community that is abhorrent and cannot continue. It is our duty to condemn these terrible incidents and take action against this continued harassment, violence, and discrimination," said the city councilman who represents the Manhattan neighborhood where the assault happened. "The unprovoked attack against the South Korean diplomat is horrific and absolutely unacceptable." Says the consul and press attaché for the South Korean Consulate General in New York, "We are outraged by this senseless and deplorable violence and look forward to a swift resolution of this unfortunate incident." (More South Korea stories.)

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