A STUDENT had his teeth smashed when a thug hit him in the face with a wine bottle in an alleged racist attack.

Yehsung Kim has not been able to eat properly since he was attacked in North Street, Brighton, on Sunday night.

He had been with friends on the way home from a South Korean society meeting.

Mr Kim, 20, of Ship Street, Brighton, said he was approached by a group of three or four boys and two girls before one of them launched a bottle at him.

The University of Sussex student, who is originally from South Korea, said: “I was suddenly hit by a wine bottle out of nowhere after I saw the group of British people arguing with a Japanese man.

“The first thing one of them said to me after I asked ‘why did you throw that at me?’ was ‘because you are ******* Asian’.

“The girls were encouraging the boys to fight with me.

“People around us were saying let’s watch them fight and were making a joke out of it.

“I was then hit again by a bottle that struck my face and smashed one of my teeth, leaving another eight or nine of them loose and shaking.

“I was very annoyed.

“The group was also making racist gestures at me and using horrible words like monkey.

“They were trying to do monkey impressions and were pulling their ears and pulling their eyes to the side.

“I feel like they did it just because I am foreign but I just want to study here.”

A passer-by captured video footage of the attack, showing the group approaching Mr Kim. One of the thugs can then be seen hitting him in the face with the wine bottle.

The attack left Mr Kim needing emergency hospital treatment and he is now considering travelling home to South Korea to get further treatment.

After visiting a doctor yesterday, he was told that the maxilla bone between his top lip and nose may be broken and could require more treatment.

Mr Kim said: “The video was taken by someone around us.

“I have reported it to police and it is now evidence.

“I am not sure why they are uneducated like this.”

A Sussex Police spokesman said officers were appealing for information.

He said: “At about 10.30pm on Sunday, police were called by South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) following a report of an assault in North Street, Brighton.

“The victim, a 20-year-old man from Brighton, had been struck with a bottle, causing facial injuries, and was taken to hospital for treatment.

“Enquiries are ongoing and anyone who saw what happened is asked to report it online or call 101 quoting serial 1481 of 15/10.”

A crowdfunding page has now been set up online to raise money for dental treatment he requires as a result.

A target of £1,000 has been set by the page’s creator. Visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/brightonracistattack.