2 North Korean Baltic Missiles Don't Make Kamala Harris Come To Seoul: I'm Here To Strengthen The Alliance

Photo of US Vice President Kamala Harris (Twitter @VP)

JAKARTA - The plane carrying US Vice President Kamala Harris landed smoothly in South Korea, Thursday 29 September. Kamala Harris' arrival was previously marked by the launch of two short-range ballistic missiles belonging to North Korea.

Kamala Harris will visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) closely guarded by North and South Korean forces. But Harris was there to strengthen the security alliance with Seoul, as quoted by Channel News Asia.

Speaking ahead of his meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Harris said the alliance of those countries was key to security and prosperity on the Korean peninsula.

"I am here to strengthen the strength of our alliance and strengthen our cooperation," Harris said.

Washington stationed about 28,500 troops in South Korea to help protect it from the North, and its allies carried out large-scale joint naval exercises this week for a demonstration against North Korea.

Harris' trip to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) is likely to anger Pyongyang, who branded United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi the worst destroyer of international peace when he visited the border in August.

Harris arrived in Seoul after a trip to Japan. There he attended the funeral of the murdered former prime minister Shinzo Abe.

Security issues will dominate Harris' meeting with Yoon. But South Korea is also anxious about the law signed by US President Joe Biden, removing subsidies for electric cars built outside America. It is feared that it will have an impact on Korean automakers such as Hyundai and KIA.

Previously, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast. The missile launch was carried out two days after South Korean and US forces carried out military exercises in waters off the northeast coast involving an aircraft carrier. On Sunday, North Korea fired another ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast.

The missiles were launched from the Sunan area in Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, between 18:10 and 18:20 local time, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

"Our military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance while working closely with the United States," they said in a statement.

Japan's coast guard also reported alleged ballistic missile tests. For Defense Minister Toshiro Ino as unacceptable.

"North Korea's actions, including repeated ballistic missile launches, pose a threat to Japan's peace and security, the region and the international community," Ino said.