The United States and South Korea expressed deep shock and regret over the knife attack on U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Mark Lippert on Thursday, with politicians wishing for Lippert’s speedy recovery and calling for heightened security for foreign envoys in South Korea.
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| South Korea President Park Geun-hye, U.S. President Barack Obama. (Yonhap) |
President Park Geun-hye, who was in the United Arab Emirates, the third leg of her four-nation trip to the Middle East, said that the incident was not only an attack on the U.S. ambassador, but also an “unacceptable attack on the South Korea-U.S. alliance.”
“(The Seoul government) is taking due measures including a thorough investigation and heightened security,” Park was quoted as saying. She also offered words of consolation to Lippert’s family.
Her senior foreign secretary also told reporters in Abu Dhabi that the president was considering making a phone call to Lippert and taking a wide range of measures to reaffirm the U.S.- Korea alliance. The presidential office held an emergency meeting with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and Chief of Staff Lee Byung-kee soon after the incident was reported, he said. The South Korean foreign minister is currently accompanying Park on her nine-day trip to the Middle East
U.S. President Barack Obama called Lippert after the attack to wish him a fast recovery, the White House said.
The U.S. State Department condemned the attack, which happened at a performing arts center in downtown Seoul as the ambassador was preparing for a lecture about prospects for peace on the divided Korean Peninsula, and said Lippert’s injuries were not life-threatening.
“We strongly condemn this act of violence,” State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said.
Political parties here lamented the unprecedented attack and called for a stern and thorough investigation into the case, including looking into negligence on the part of the Seoul authorities in protecting foreign envoys here.
They also echoed concern over the attack possibly hurting the Korea-U.S. alliance in the face of widening cracks caused by Washington taking a bolder stance on resolving historical issues with Japan.
The parties, however, were of the view that the attack was an individual act by an apparent pro-North activist.
“How can such (an attack) happen in our society,” said ruling Saenuri Party leader Rep. Kim Moo-sung. Reiterating President Park’s definition of the attack as “terrorism against the Korea-U.S. alliance,” Kim wished for Lippert’s early recovery and called for a thorough investigation.
Saenuri floor leader Rep. Yoo Seung-min said, “I cannot help but be appalled and am worried this may seriously affect Korea-U.S. relations.” He called for the government to deal with the case to prevent it from hurting the bilateral alliance.
The main-opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy defined the attacker as a “radical nationalist prone to acting unpredictably.”
“No act of violence with political intent can be rationalized,” said NPAD leader Rep. Moon Jae-in.
By Cho Chung-un and news reports (christory@heraldcorp.com)
