US Vice President Harris Meets President Yoon to Discuss Korea-US Issues

Vice President Harris Visits Korea on 29th, Meets President Yoon Suk-yeol
Discusses Bilateral Issues Including North Korean Nuclear Missiles

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] Kamala Harris, the Vice President of the United States, who will visit Korea on the 29th, is expected to meet with President Yoon Suk-yeol during her visit to discuss the Korea-US alliance, North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, and responses to the US Inflation Reduction Act.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

A senior official of the Biden administration stated this on the 23rd (local time) during a briefing regarding Vice President Harris's visit to Korea and Japan.

Vice President Harris will lead a condolence delegation to attend the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe scheduled for the 27th and will visit Japan from the 25th.

Vice President Harris plans to hold talks with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who will attend the state funeral in Japan, on the 27th and visit Korea for one day on the 29th to meet President Yoon Suk-yeol.

The senior official said, "The Vice President will emphasize the importance of the Korea-US alliance during her meeting with President Yoon and discuss the threats posed by North Korea and the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," adding, "They will also discuss expanding economic and technological cooperation between the two countries as well as regional and global issues."

Regarding the meeting with Prime Minister Han, the senior official said, "It will be a substantial opportunity to confirm that the Korea-US alliance is a core pillar of security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, and to discuss an expanded alliance covering the vision of the Biden-Harris administration and global challenges beyond the Korean Peninsula."

On the possibility of North Korea conducting a seventh nuclear test, the official said, "There is no prediction or announcement to make," but added, "We have already made it clear that if North Korea conducts a nuclear test, the US will respond additionally to uphold its ironclad commitment to defend Korea and Japan."

When asked whether Vice President Harris would visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the official replied, "There are no further announced schedules," and said, "The reason for the Vice President's visit to Korea is to demonstrate alliance and solidarity with Korea against North Korea's threats." The senior official also explained that Vice President Harris will frequently mention the Taiwan issue with the Korean and Japanese governments.

When asked if the Vice President's visit would help improve Korea-Japan relations, the official said, "Of course, we want America's two allies to be as close as possible, and it is encouraging that the leadership of both countries prioritizes this issue and meets each other."

Additionally, on the 29th, Vice President Harris will hold a roundtable meeting on gender equality with Korean women who have pioneered new fields in various industries.

When asked whether Vice President Harris would discuss gender equality issues, such as the low number of women in senior positions in the Korean government, during her meeting with President Yoon, the senior official said, "It is an important issue for the Vice President, and we expect it to be raised in some meetings."

The US Vice President's visit to Korea is the first in about four years and six months since then-Vice President Mike Pence visited Korea in February 2018 during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

Following President Joe Biden's visit to Korea in May and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit last month, Vice President Harris's visit marks an unprecedented occasion where the top three US officials in the order of protocol visit Korea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.