Seoul, March 9 (IANS): South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday visited US Ambassador to Seoul Mark Lippert, who is in a hospital after being attacked by an anti-American activist last week.

Park visited Severance Hospital where the envoy is being treated since Thursday when a South Korean activist slashed him in the face and wrist to protest joint military drills between South Korea and the US, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Park made the visit immediately after returning to the country from a four-nation tour of the Middle East.

Hospital officials said the ambassador has been recovering faster than expected and could be discharged as early as Tuesday.

The wounds required more than 80 stitches.

The assailant, Kim Ki-Jong, has been detained on charges of attempted murder, violence against a foreign envoy and obstruction of business.

He claimed the joint military drills which are designed to better deter threats from North Korea hinder efforts to reunify the two Koreas.