South Korean President Says He Discussed Cooperation and North Korea With US Vice President

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Thursday that he had met with US Vice President Kamala Harris in Seoul to discuss ways to strengthen the alliance between the two countries, as well as the situation around North Korea amid Pyongyang’s recent missile launches.

Harris’ visit to South Korea is her first visit to the country in the status of vice president. As expected, during the day she will visit the demilitarized zone on the border of South Korea and North Korea.

"I plan to continue to develop the South Korea-US alliance as a reliable pillar of support for defending our people's freedom, safety, and prosperity," Yoon said, as quoted by the news agency.

In turn, Harris also confirmed the importance of the alliance between the two countries and announced her intention to strengthen joint work, the news agency added.

The parties also discussed the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which Seoul fears could harm South Korean automakers by excluding them from tax credits granted only to electric vehicles assembled in North America, the news agency reported.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol attends the Global Fund's Seventh Replenishment Conference in New York City on September 21, 2022.

© AFP 2023 / LUDOVIC MARIN

On Sunday, North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan amid the arrival of the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group to participate in the combined drills with the South Korean navy. On Wednesday, North Korea launched another two short-range ballistic missiles.

North Korea intensified launches of ballistic missiles and other projectiles in 2022. Since the beginning of the year, Pyongyang has launched more than 20 missiles, compared to eight missiles last year.