United States Vice President Kamala Harris will visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between conflicting North and South Korea on Thursday, according to officials from Washington and Seoul.
Kamala Harris' DMZ trip, which was announced on Tuesday, will take place days after North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the sea, according to a report from Reuters.
VP Harris' DMZ Visit Will Highlight 'Ironclad' US-South Korea Ties
During a meeting with the US vice president in Tokyo, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo officially announced Harris' visit, which would be the first by a top Biden administration official. Han's announcement was later confirmed by a US official. Han remarked that Harris DMZ visit will be a "very symbolic" one as it will showcase the "strong commitments" of the United States to maintain "security and peace on the Korean Peninsula," Han said.
The Korean War lasted from 1950 to 1953. An armistice rather than a peace treaty was established after the war that created the DMZ. The area has been referred to as the world's final Cold War border. North Korea lambasted the US, South Korea, and Japan when the allies held an assembly to discuss Pyongyang's military provocations this summer, per Politico.
The US official, who requested anonymity, claimed that the Kamala Harris DMZ visit would display the strength of the relationship between Seoul and Washington "in the face of any threats made" by Pyongyang. According to the official, Harris will visit the DMZ, where she will meet with military personnel, get an operational briefing from US commanders, and consider the shared sacrifice of American and South Korean soldiers.
The United States, South Korea, and Japan are actively observing North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test site. North Korea has conducted over 30 missile launches in 2022, and US authorities have warned that Pyongyang may take advantage of Harris's visit to conduct its seventh and most recent nuclear test.
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Authorities Keeping A Close Eye on North Korean Nuclear Weapons Test
A White House source noted that the US "made clear" that such a test would result in additional US steps to reiterate its "ironclad commitment" to the security of its two allies, South Korea and Japan. The source added that US officials are "explicit" about our concern with North Korea's "provocations" and disruptive actions that make a nuclear test highly possible.
On Sunday, North Korea tested a short-range ballistic missile in the Sea of Japan, a day before US and South Korean naval exercises. It seems from satellite photographs of North Korea's Sinpo navy dockyards on the country's east coast that a new ballistic missile-firing submarine is likely to be deployed.
At least 20 vessels and several planes participated in the US and South Korean joint military exercises, which started on Monday. DW reported that a US battle group consisting of guided-missile destroyers and the fast attack submarine USS Annapolis is being led by the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.
It is the first joint military drill involving an aircraft carrier between the US and South Korea since 2017. According to the South Korean military, the drills are intended to display "strong resolve to respond to North Korean provocations" and improve combined combat assets.
