VP Kamala Harris concentrates her Asia trip on security and includes a visit to the Korean DMZ.

Vice President Kamala Harris reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to regional security in a series of meetings with Asian leaders on Tuesday. The White House also announced that she will go to the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas.

At the conclusion of her journey to Asia, Harris, according to an official, will explore the South and North Korean border region on Thursday. The visit takes place in the midst of ongoing worries over North Korea's nuclear and missile development.

Shortly before Harris departed Washington, North Korea conducted a test launch of a short-range ballistic missile in apparent retaliation to joint military drills between the US and South Korea that included the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

Both previous President Donald Trump and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have been to the demilitarized zone (DMZ), where they have met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

In an unexpected turn of events, Harris' team presented her idea to South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Tuesday at a meeting. Afterward, a White House representative hurried to corroborate the specifics of her travel.

Harris "will tour areas in the DMZ, meet with military men, and get an operational briefing from U.S. commanders," the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

When visiting the Akasaka Palace state guest house in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, Vice President Kamala Harris met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno to express her condolences for the passing of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Leah Millis, AP

In the conflict that tore the peninsula in half seven decades ago, she will also "think on the joint sacrifice of tens of thousands of American and Korean soldiers who fought and died together."

The Inflation Reduction Act, which disqualifies electric vehicles made outside of North America from receiving government subsidies, was another topic Harris and Han reportedly discussed, according to the White House. South Korea has been complaining about this law.

They promised to keep in touch as the bill is put into practice, according to the White House.

Security consultations with Australia, South Korea, and Japan

As she attends the formal burial of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was killed in July, Harris has focused heavily on security issues during her talks in Tokyo.

The U.S. partnership with South Korea is the "linchpin of stability and development" in the region, Harris declared as he sat down with Han.

We support you in the face of danger, she declared.

Following the meeting, Harris met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and informed him of their shared commitment to peace and security as well as their "same purpose and link."

Shinzo Abe's widow, Akie Abe, center, arrives at the official burial for the former Japanese leader on September 27, 2022, at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo while carrying some of his ashes. TAKASHI AOYAMA POOL/AFP Via Getty Images

The discussions come following Harris' meeting with Fumio Kishida, the prime minister of Japan, on Monday, immediately after his arrival in Tokyo.

At the time, Harris called the partnership between the United States and Japan "a cornerstone of what we feel is important to peace, stability, and prosperity" in the area.

The encounter with Kishida was similarly characterized by bewilderment, much like the unexpected disclosure of Harris' visit to the DMZ. While Harris was still speaking, his staff attempted to escort reporters out the room. Some of her statements were muffled by the noise, making it difficult for her office to complete a copy of her precise words.

In addition to worries over North Korea, tensions over Taiwan, the independent island that China sees as a part of its territory, have risen.

President Joe Biden recently stated that if China invaded, the United States would send soldiers to defend Taiwan. Any attempt to obstruct reunification with Taiwan will be "crushed by the wheels of history," according to Wang Yi, China's foreign minister, who made the statement on Saturday.