President Yoon Seok-yeol met with US Vice President Kamala Harris, who visited Korea on a one-day schedule today (29th).



The incumbent Vice President of the United States has visited Korea for the first time in four years and six months since Vice President Mike Pence visited Korea in February 2018, when the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics were held.



President Yoon said, "We welcome your visit to Korea once again," said President Yoon, in his remarks at the meeting held this morning at the enlarged conference room of the President's Office in Yongsan. said.



"U.S. President Joe Biden and I met several times last week, including in London and New York (planned tours), and shared a consensus on the direction for our alliance to develop," he said.



President Yoon said, "I want to continue to develop the ROK-U.S. alliance as a strong pillar to protect the freedom, safety and prosperity of our people. Following President Biden's visit to Korea, today's Vice President Harris's visit to Korea is expected to be another turning point for this. do,” he added.



"It's a great honor to be here in Seoul," said Vice President Harris, adding that "his husband had the privilege of leading a delegation to attend [President Yoon's] inauguration in May."



He also said, "President Biden personally asked me to send my regards before my visit," he said.



“So, I think our meeting is on that line,” he said.



"For the past 70 years, the ROK-U.S. alliance has been a key pillar of security and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, in the Indo-Pacific region, and globally," said Vice President Harris. to make it happen,” he said.



After everyone's remarks, the interview was changed to private.



On the American side today, US Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg, Vice President of National Security Adviser Philip Gordon, Vice President of Chief of Staff Lorraine Rawls, Vice President of National Security Rebecca Listener, and National Security Council Senior Adviser for East Asia and Oceans Edgard Cannon were present.



Representatives from our side included Foreign Minister Park Jin, National Security Office Director Kim Seong-han, Ambassador Cho Tae-yong to the US, Security Office First Deputy Director Kim Tae-hyo, Public Relations Senior Secretary Kim Eun-hye, and Economic Affairs Chief Choi Sang-mok in attendance.



In the closed interview, it seems that concerns about discrimination against Korean electric vehicles under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of the United States and issues on the Korean Peninsula, including the North Korean nuclear program, were mainly discussed.



It is also possible that Vice President Harris mentioned the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's gender equality policy.



"I strongly believe that in a democratic country the status of democracy can be measured based on the status of women in a democratic country," Harris said in an interview with the New York Times in Japan yesterday. there is.



After meeting with President Yoon, Vice President Harris is scheduled to return home in the evening after digesting schedules such as 'Meeting Korean Women' and 'Visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)'.



(Photo = Yonhap News)