Harris to visit DMZ on Thursday

Vice President Harris will visit the Demilitarized Zone on Thursday as part of her trip to South Korea, the White House confirmed Monday.

Harris will travel to the heavily guarded area dividing the Korean Peninsula to meet with service members and receive a briefing from U.S. commanders, a White House official said in a statement.

“The Vice President will reflect on the shared sacrifice of tens of thousands of American and Korean soldiers who fought and died together, and will reaffirm that the U.S. commitment to the ROK’s defense is ironclad,” the official said.

Harris is in Asia leading a U.S. delegation at the funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

While abroad, Harris is also meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Harris will also meet with Japanese business leaders during the trip.

The visit to the DMZ will be the first for Harris since she took office as vice president. Travel to the border between North Korea and South Korea is rare for high-ranking U.S. officials, particularly amid tensions with North Korea over its nuclear program.

Former President Trump visited the DMZ in 2019 and met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the stop, making him the first sitting U.S. president to cross into North Korea.