US envoy released from Seoul hospital after knife attack

SEOUL, South Korea (UPDATED) – The US ambassador to South Korea was Tuesday, March 10, released from hospital where he was treated for a knife attack, saying the incident was “scary” but that he would not change his “open and friendly” approach to the job.

Mark Lippert, 42, underwent surgery to treat deep gashes to his cheek and hand after he was slashed by a knife-wielding nationalist at a breakfast function in central Seoul last Thursday.

Hospital officials said that after 5 days of treatment the US diplomat had now had all 80 stitches from his face removed and the pain in his left wrist had subsided. 

“I feel pretty darn good, all thing considered”, a smiling Lippert said before he was discharged, speaking to journalists with part of his face covered with clear adhesive bandages.

“It was obviously a scary incident but I am walking, talking, holding my baby, hugging my wife. So I just feel really good”, the new father said, adding he would get back to work “as soon as possible”.

Lippert, whose popularity among South Koreans has only grown since the attack, expressed gratitude at the “outpouring of support” he and his family have received.

“We have made it our mission to be open and friendly. And that will not change,” he said.

“The bottom line is that this incident has only strengthened our love and affection for this country and our belief in the unbreakable bond that exists between the United States and the Republic of Korea.”

The assailant Kim Ki-Jong was formally charged with attempted murder on Friday, despite his pleas that he never intended to kill the ambassador.

Asked if he had carried out the assault on the orders of North Korea, Kim insisted he acted alone, while North Korea accused the South of launching a “vicious” smear campaign to tie its leadership to the attack.

Kim, 55, has a previous conviction for hurling a rock at the then-Japanese ambassador in 2010.

Activists have described him as a loner whose behavior became increasingly erratic, forcing his friends and colleagues to shun contact with him. 

Kim has said he attacked Lippert as a protest against ongoing South-US army drills, which he blamed for souring inter-Korean relations.

The annual drills, known as Foal Eagle and Key Resolve, have long been condemned by Pyongyang as rehearsals for invasion.   

Lippert said in the aftermath of the attack that US security authorities would “take a hard look” at security tactics and technical procedures in South Korea.

Since his arrival in South Korea last year, Lippert has proved a popular ambassador, tweeting regularly about his life in Seoul and setting up a tongue-in-cheek Twitter account for his dog, Grigsby.

Since he was hospitalized, his Twitter account has drawn many messages of support, and groups of well-wishers have rallied in front of the US embassy and outside the hospital to denounce the attack. – Rappler.com