United States Vice President Kamala Harris visited South Korea as part of her Asia tour, including a stop at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. In her remarks at the DMZ, Harris sharply criticized North Korea, citing its dictatorship and human rights violations.
Harris issued stark criticism toward North Korea during her first visit to the DMZ last week, noting that the border showed a stark contrast between the two Koreas, a reminder of the “dramatically different paths” that North and South Korea have taken. Her remarks came before Pyongyang launched two missiles hours after leaving South Korea.
“In the North, we see a brutal dictatorship, rampant human rights violations, and an unlawful weapons program that threatens peace and stability,” said Harris.
“The United States and the world seek a stable and peaceful Korean peninsula where the DPRK is no longer a threat,” added Harris, referring to the initials of North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Harris visited the DMZ after arriving in Seoul Thursday last week, where she met with President Yoon Suk-yeol.
The White House said both Harris and Yoon condemned Pyongyang’s increased nuclear rhetoric and its multiple weapons tests while discussing the response to potential provocations by the isolated nation in the future, including trilateral cooperation with Japan.
The White House also said that Harris and Yoon reiterated the goal of the complete denuclearization of the entire Korean peninsula.
Yoon’s office said that should North Korea continue with its provocations such as nuclear threats, Seoul and Washington agreed to the immediate enforcement of “jointly prepared countermeasures” but did not disclose further details.
The US Indo-Pacific Command said Friday last week that it is aware of North Korea’s latest two ballistic missile launches. However, it said that the incidents do not pose an immediate threat to US personnel or territory or to its allies.
“The missile launch highlights the destabilizing impact of the DPRK’s unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs,” the US combatant command said in a statement. “The US commitments to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remain ironclad.”


EU Weighs New Trade Restrictions on Israeli West Bank Settlements
Russia Launches Missile and Drone Attacks on Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham Dies at 71, Leaving South Carolina Senate Seat Vacant
Minnesota Wildfires Spread as Governor Tim Walz Deploys National Guard
Trump to Deliver National Address on Declassified 2020 Election Intelligence
EU to Propose New Rules Limiting Children's Access to Social Media
HHS Watchdog Reports $5.56 Billion in Healthcare Fraud Recoveries as Enforcement Actions Decline
DOJ Subpoenas New York Times Journalists Over Air Force One Leak Report
Iran's Supreme Leader Vows Revenge as Trump Threatens Massive U.S. Military Response
Trump Administration Hands Over Key Evidence in Minnesota Immigration Shooting Investigations
UN Says Hamas Disrupted Gaza Aid Distribution, Group Denies Allegations
Zelenskiy Plans Ukraine Government Shake-Up as Prime Minister Svyrydenko Set to Step Down
Reuters/Ipsos Poll: Most Americans Expect U.S.-Iran War to Be Prolonged
Israel Sets October 27 Election as Netanyahu Faces Tough Political Test
Western Allies Push for More Air Defenses for Ukraine at Paris Summit
Trump Recommends Darline Graham for Interim South Carolina Senate Seat
Iraq PM Visits Washington as U.S. Oil, Gas Deals Take Center Stage 



