Harris focuses Asia trip on security, adds tour to Korea DMZ

Harris has been emphasising security ties during her time in Tokyo, where she’s attending the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

In a meeting after meeting Asian leaders on September 27, Vice President Kamala Harris emphasised the U.S. commitment to regional security, and the White House disclosed that she would visit the Demilitarised Zone between the Koreas.

An official said Ms. Harris would tour the border area between South and North Korea on Thursday, at the end of her trip to Asia. The visit comes amid persistent concerns about North Korea's missile and nuclear programmes.

North Korea test-fired a short-range ballistic missile shortly before Ms. Harris left Washington, an apparent response to joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea that include the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the DMZ in August, and former President Donald Trump went in 2019 when he met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Ms. Harris' plan, which had been kept under wraps by her team, was unexpectedly revealed during a meeting with South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Tuesday. A White House official rushed to confirm details of her trip afterward.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Ms. Harris “will tour sites at the DMZ, meet with service members and receive an operational briefing from U.S. commanders”.

She will also “reflect on the shared sacrifice of tens of thousands of American and Korean soldiers who fought and died together” in the war that divided the peninsula seven decades ago.