Seoul and Washington are seeking to boost high-level exchanges as they strive to turn around the mood and contain the aftermath of a knife attack against the U.S. ambassador here.

Mark Lippert received slashes to his face and arm before a seminar in Seoul on Thursday by an ultraleft activist wielding a 25-centimeter knife and calling for a halt to South Korea-U.S. military drills and reunification with North Korea.

The incident prompted concerns that it could sour public sentiment in both countries and make it difficult for the allies to work together on key issues in the future.

“Though we’ve been having extensive high-level consultations, we’re trying to arrange another round for an early date,” a Foreign Ministry official said on customary condition of anonymity.

“As both countries repeatedly said, the attack should not and will not affect the bilateral relationship and we will make public diplomacy efforts to prevent any bad perceptions from spreading.”

As part of the efforts, Kim Hong-kyun, former secretary for international cooperation at Cheong Wa Dae’s National Security Office who is expected to take over as deputy foreign minister for political affairs later this month, could travel to Washington following his official appointment.

The Foreign Ministry is believed to be also considering visits by other ranking officials including Minister Yun Byung-se and Vice Minister Cho Tae-yong, while U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry reportedly plans to visit Northeast Asia next month.

The envisioned trips would also provide the allies with scope to improve policy coordination and align public messages in the face of growing signs of a discord over their approaches toward North Korea and Japan. The U.S. came under fire after Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman implicitly blamed Seoul and Beijing for taking advantage of “nationalist feelings” for domestic interests and thus thwarting greater cooperation involving Tokyo.

Though officials quickly stepped in to downplay them, Sherman’s remarks kindled concerns that the Shinzo Abe administration may now press more freely ahead with its ongoing revisionist drive while refusing to change its unrepentant stance toward sex slavery and other atrocities during World War II.

The U.S. State Department also reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the alliance, issuing a statement saying it would not be deterred by “senseless acts of violence.”

Lippert, for his part, has been gaining compliments for his poised response, with his Twitter account being increasingly flooded with cheers and wishes for a swift recovery.

“Doing well & in great spirits! Robyn, Sejun, Grigsby & I ― deeply moved by the support! Will be back ASAP to advance US-ROK alliance! Gachi gapshida! (Let’s go together!),” he wrote on the microblogging site late Thursday.

“Lippert looks forward to getting back to work with his Korean counterparts to strengthen our bilateral relationship and to jointly address regional and global challenges,” the department said in a statement.

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)