State Dept. says South Korea ties strong despite knife attack

The State Department is condemning the attack on the U.S. ambassador to South Korea, saying it would not impact the relationship between Washington and Seoul.

{mosads}”The U.S.-ROK alliance is strong; we will not be deterred by senseless acts of violence. President Park and Foreign Minister Yun both called Ambassador [Mark] Lippert to express their condolences and wish him a speedy recovery,” spokeswoman Marie Harf said Thursday in a statement, referring to the Republic of Korea.

“Ambassador Lippert looks forward to getting back to work with his Republic of Korean counterparts to strengthen our bilateral relationship and to jointly address regional and global challenges,” she added.

Harf added that the ambassador is in “great spirits” and recovering after he was slashed across the face and hand in an attack Thursday morning in Seoul. Police have a suspect in custody, but Harf said officials “cannot speculate on a motive at this time.”

The New York Times reported that Lippert received 80 stitches in his face and that doctors expect him to need several months to recover fully. Multiple media reports claim that the attacker expressed opposition to America’s joint military exercises with South Korea.

South Korea has been a major Pacific ally of the United States since the Korean War. America has about 29,000 troops in the country, according to the State Department. The troops help maintain the cease-fire line that separates North and South Korea.

Lippert has been a longtime aide to President Obama, first serving as his Senate foreign policy adviser. Lippert later served on Obama’s campaign and transition team. He also served as chief of staff to former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. He ascended to the ambassadorship in 2014.

A number of lawmakers took to Twitter to send their best wishes, including Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who represents Lippert’s home state.