South Korea's president visited injured U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert on Monday, who hospital officials say is itching to get back to work after being knifed in the face.
President Park Geun-hye told the diplomat that while she had herself been victim of a similar attack in 2006 and undergone surgery at the same hospital, "it is even more heart-breaking thinking that an ambassador had to go through the same thing."
Lippert — who received a large gash on his face and injury to his arm in the attack last week — could be released from the hospital as early as Tuesday, according to hospital officials.
"He has strongly expressed his desire to go back to work," said Yoon Do-heum, general director of Severance Hospital said.
Meanwhile, police said the investigation is into the attack is ongoing and that authorities are looking into the possibility that the suspect Kim Ki-Jong — who was detained at the scene of the attack — had accomplices. The FBI is "actively supporting" the investigation into the attack, added Yun Myeong-Seong, chief of Jongno Police Station.
IN-DEPTH
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