US and South Korean officials said US Vice President Kamla Harris would visit the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas to demonstrate Washington’s commitment to South Korea’s security.

The visit, announced on Tuesday, comes days after North Korea fired a ballistic missile at sea and amid fears of possible nuclear tests as attempts by President Joe Biden’s administration to contact North Korean leader Kim Jong-un failed. .

South Korean Prime Minister Han Dak-soo publicly confirmed Harris’ visit during a meeting with the US Vice President in Tokyo, and was later confirmed by a US official.

North Korean Ambassador to the UN Kim Son on Monday accused Washington of hostile policies that are creating a “vicious cycle of tension and confrontation.”

A US aircraft carrier arrived in the region this week for joint exercises with the South Korean navy, in what Kim called a “very dangerous act” that could bring the Korean Peninsula to the brink of war.

The US Vice President is in Tokyo leading a US presidential delegation to attend the funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.