(LEAD) Amb. Lippert expected to leave hospital next week: State Department

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WASHINGTON, March 6 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert, recovering from wounds from a knife attack, is in stable condition and is expected to leave the hospital as early as next week, the State Department said Friday.

"Ambassador Lippert is in stable condition and in spite of the serious injuries that he sustained, he is expected to stay in the hospital until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. The ambassador is in good spirits," State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said.

She also said the ambassador is expected to return to the job as soon as he can.

"The president has spoken to Ambassador Lippert as have other senior officials as well. (South Korean) President Park (Geun-hye) spoke to him as well," Harf said.

On Thursday, a knife-wielding assailant slashed Lippert on the face and wrist at a breakfast function in central Seoul. The ambassador was taken to a hospital and received more than 80 stitches.

The 55-year-old attacker was immediately arrested. As he was hauled away, he shouted opposition to joint military exercises under way between South Korea and the U.S., something in line with North Korea's rhetoric.

Harf said Lippert had one full-time bodyguard assigned from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency at the time of the bloody attack, adding that Seoul is a "low-threat" environment and the U.S. ambassador is the only chief of mission in South Korea to have a Korean police officer assigned in official capacity.

Since the attack, several more police officers have been assigned to the ambassador, she said.

Harf also said the case won't have any negative effects on relations between the two countries.

"The alliance with South Korea is part of the cornerstone of our relationship in Asia. It's an incredibly important relationship. I think the fact that President Park and other senior officials have either called or going to visit Ambassador Lippert shows the strength and depth of our relationship," Harf said.

"That certainly won't change at all because of this event, this awful situation. Certainly, our relationship will continue as strongly as it ever has been going forward," she added.

Harf said the South Korean police are leading the investigation and looking into the motivation of the attack as well as if the case has any ties with North Korea.

She sidestepped a question whether she would call the attack an act of terrorism.

"Obviously, this was a horrible act of violence, certainly. We don't have more details yet about the motivation or exactly what happened here, so I'm probably not going to put more labels on it," she said. "What we're focused on is determining why this person did this and working with the South Koreans on that."

jschang@yna.co.kr
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