Britain's new ambassador to South Korea said Wednesday last week's bloody attack on the top U.S.envoy to Seoul was a "shocking and very unexpected" incident in a relatively safe city.
U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert sustained injuries on his face and left arm from an attack by a knife-wielding assailant Thursday at a forum in Seoul.
"It was shocking to all of us not only in the diplomatic community but also in a wider community because it was such a very unexpected thing that happened probably in one of the safest places in the world," Charles John Hay told a group of reporters in Seoul.
Hay became Britain's top envoy to South Korea last month, replacing Scott Wightman.
Touching on the relationship between Seoul and London, Hay said it is "absolutely excellent" as their ties and cooperation have been evolving on not only bilateral issues but also the global agenda, including the fight against Ebola.
Last year, South Korea and Britain inked a preliminary deal over cooperation in Seoul's efforts to dispatch its medical workers to Ebola-hit Sierra Leone.
"It is safe to say that the relations between the U.K. and (South) Korea have never been as good as they are at the moment ...I think the relationship is absolutely excellent."
Hay said that there is more room to boost cooperation further between the two nations in such areas as science innovations and education.
Britain is also one of a few Western nations that have embassies in North Korea. Pyongyang has never ceased its threats of another nuclear test and missile launches, raising tension on the divided Korean Peninsula.
"Of course, nuclear ambitions of North Korea are a matter of great concern to us ... and to the international community," Hay said.
He said that Britain will continue to work with the global community to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions, adding that peace and stability in the region is "extremely important" to Britain as well.
When it comes to strained relations between Seoul and Tokyo, Hay refrained from making specific comments but expressed hope that this year can become a meaningful moment for a better future. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of Seoul-Tokyo ties.
"I hope that the anniversary will be a moment to look ahead to the future, as well as dealing with the past," Hay said. "I think it is up to each country to find their own way of coming to terms with the past and looking forward to the future."
Hay said learning the Korean language can be challenging, but it is also a rewarding experience in better understanding South Korea and its people.
"I will continue to work on my Korean and deepen my knowledge and understanding about this country (during my stint here)," he added.
He also said that he will do his best to develop the Seoul-London relationship into moving further forward down the road. (Yonhap)
