“This incident has only strengthened our belief in the unbreakable bond that exists between the United States and the Republic of Korea.”
“One of my first public events (since resuming work) dealt with one of my favorite topics — Korean food. Since I love it so much, it was with enthusiasm that I attended the Korean Traditional Food Tasting Event on March 25 hosted by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO).”
- Mark Lippert, US ambassador to South Korea
Mark Lippert, US ambassador to South Korea (image: Chuck Hagel/flickr)
SEOUL, April 1 (Korea Bizwire) — Mark Lippert, the U.S. ambassador to South Korea, expressed his gratitude to South Koreans for their support and encouragement following the knife attack on him last month.
He said in his first message on his blog, The Lipperts in Korea, that he and his family will never forget South Koreans’ warmth and help during his time of need.
On March 5, a South Korean nationalist slashed the envoy’s face and arm with a 25-centimeter knife while he was attending a breakfast forum in Seoul.
Lippert was immediately hospitalized and underwent surgery. He returned to work on March 19.
Also Wednesday, prosecutors charged the assailant, Kim Ki-jong, with attempted murder, violence against a foreign envoy and business obstruction.
Kim has claimed that he had no intention to kill. Prosecutors, however, cited his use of a lethal weapon, especially on the envoy’s face, and his political motivation behind the attack. Kim had protested last month’s joint military drills between Seoul and Washington, which he claimed hampered efforts for reunification with North Korea.
Prosecutors said they will continue to look into his past pro-North activities to decide whether to charge him with violation of the National Security Act, which bans South Koreans from publicly sympathizing with the North Korean government.
(Yonhap)
