The New York Police Department(NYPD) says it is conducting a swift and thorough investigation of an assault case involving a diplomat stationed at South Korea’s Permanent Mission to the UN.

The South Korean consulate general in New York received confirmation from the NYPD on Thursday that the police have opened an investigation, and stated that the consulate is cooperating with the department.

According to local media, the South Korean diplomat in his 50s was punched in the face by an unidentified man in what police described as an "unprovoked" attack at around 8 p.m. on Wednesday near Koreatown in Manhattan. The attacker fled the scene and no arrests have been made.

The reports said the victim is recovering at his residence after being discharged from the hospital.

Police have yet to classify the latest case as a hate crime but could do so once they arrest the attacker and confirm his motive.

According to the NYPD, the number of hate crimes against Asians in New York surged from 28 in 2020 to 131 last year.