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.”

Later in the evening, Park called Lippert and told him she was shocked to hear about the incident.

“President Park said she felt pained and said she fully understood what Ambassador Lippert was going through as she suffered from a similar incident,” said her office. Park was cut with a knife by an attacker while on the campaign trail in 2006.

The South Korean president said she would pray for his quick recovery and closely cooperate with the U.S. to prevent the incident from having a negative effect on the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

Speaking in Korean, Lippert said he was honored to hear warm words from the president, the office added.

Her senior foreign secretary also told reporters in Abu Dhabi that the president was considering taking all possible measures.

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 a nine-day trip to the Middle East. In Seoul, Korean National Security Adviser Kim Kwan-jin held an emergency meeting of National Security Council to seek countermeasures for the unexpected attack.

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 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)