A South Korean diplomat at the country's United Nations mission was injured following an attack by an "unidentified man" in New York, Seoul's Foreign Ministry reported today, Thursday.

According to the New York Post, the man was "slugged in the face" on a Manhattan sidewalk.

A statement by the Foreign Ministry said, "A diplomat affiliated to the UN mission was attacked by an unidentified man in downtown Manhattan on the evening of February 9 and was injured."

No details were given about the victim's gender or age, citing privacy concerns.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will urge the local police to conduct a quick and thorough investigation," it added.

Seoul said the victim "received treatment at a hospital and is now resting after being discharged."

The New York Post reported that the attacker fled on foot, with no arrests made, while the diplomat suffered a broken nose.

Hate crimes and violence against anti-Asians are on the rise in America following the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and activists believe such crimes were triggered by former President Donald Trump's talk of the "Chinese virus" during the earlier stages of the pandemic.

New research findings were released last week stating that hate crimes targeting the Asian American community reached unprecedented levels.

The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism published a compilation of hate crime data, revealing that anti-Asian hate crime increased by 339% last year compared to the year before, with New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other cities crossing record numbers in 2020. 

According to the data, there has been a considerable spike in reported anti-Asian hate crimes in 2020, when they surged by 124% over the previous year. The number of anti-Asian hate crimes in New York City increased by 343%, from 30 to 133. In San Francisco, the number of offenses increased by 567%, from nine to 60. Similarly, the city of Los Angeles had a 173% increase.

Hate crimes at their peak in the US: FBI

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported in August that the number of hate crimes in the United States has increased to its highest level in 12 years in 2020, driven by an increase in assaults on Black and Asian people.

Last year, the federal agency recorded 7,759 hate crimes, a tumultuous year marked by a global pandemic, a divisive presidential election, and economic upheaval. The total was up 6% from last year and the highest since 2008 when 7,783 hate crimes were reported.

The number of attacks has increased for the sixth time in the last seven years. According to federal data, the number of reported hate crimes has increased by nearly 42% since 2014.

Attacks on African American people increased from 1,930 to 2,755, while attacks on Asian people increased from 158 to 274. These figures come as civil rights organizations warn of growing hostility toward minorities in the face of rising white nationalism and an increase in violent crime across the country.