President Park visits injured US Ambassador Mark Lippert

After her eight-day tour to the Middle East, President Park Geun-hye visited U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert who is hospitalized in Severance Hospital of Yonsei University on Monday, instead of heading for the presidential office. Her surprise visit also showed how much the president valued the Korea-U.S. alliance.

“Both Americans and Koreans were deeply impressed by your calm reaction,” President Park said to Ambassador Lippert. “I think this has made Korea and the U.S. even closer.”

President Park said that she had herself been a victim of a similar attack in 2006 and it was heartbreaking that he had to go through the same thing. “(After the attack in 2006), I decided to live my life for the nation and the people. I expect Ambassador Lippert also would do much more for your country and the Korea-U.S. alliance going forward,” said the president.

“I was deeply impressed by the interest and comfort shown by President Park, the Korean government and the Korean people,” Mr. Lippert said. “As President Park said, I’ll do my best to spend my life and time for my family and the development of the Korea-U.S. relationship.”

The ruling Saenuri Party plans to make public the legislation of an anti-terrorism bill using the attack. “Three anti-terrorism bills sponsored by Saenuri Party lawmakers are still pending in the National Assembly,” Rep. Kim Moo-sung, the ruling party’s chairman, said in the Supreme Council meeting on Monday. “Now is the time to legislate bills in order to brace for and prevent terrorist attacks.”

egija@donga.com