SEOUL: US Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in South Korea on Thursday, Sep 29 to strengthen Washington's alliance with Seoul, a day after North Korea tested more ballistic missiles.
Harris, who arrived at Osan Airbase after a trip to Tokyo to attend the state funeral of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, is due to meet South Korea's president Yoon Suk-yeol.
She is also going to visit the heavily fortified demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea, a move that would infuriate Pyongyang.
North Korea branded US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi the worst destroyer of international peace when she visited the border in August.
North Korea has conducted two sabotage ballistic missile launches this week ahead of Harris' arrival, one on Sunday and one on Wednesday, part of a record-breaking streak of weapons tests this year.
Harris accused North Korea of threatening regional stability with fresh missile launches, denouncing their illicit weapons program South Korean and US officials have warned for months that Kim Jong Un is about to conduct another nuclear test, which could come as early as next month, after China's Communist Party Congress.
The United States and South Korea are leading a large-scale joint naval exercise this week in a show of force against growing North Korean provocations.
Harris is going to discuss the countries' long-standing security alliance, their growing economic and technology partnership, and a range of other regional and global issues with President Yoon, her office said.
Seoul is likely to raise concerns over a new law signed by US President Joe Biden, which removes subsidies for electric cars built outside of America, hitting Korean automakers like Hyundai and Kia.