White House: "Vice President Harris told Korean Prime Minister she 'understands IRA concerns'... consultations will continue"

"Efforts to Address Threats from North Korea's Nuclear and Missile Programs Together"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris met with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in Tokyo, Japan on the 27th, and the White House stated that she said, "We understand the concerns regarding electric vehicle tax benefits" related to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

According to the White House statement, Vice President Harris and Prime Minister Han also discussed addressing the climate crisis, including historic clean energy investments under the IRA.

In particular, the two promised to continue consultations as the law is implemented.

Vice President Harris and Prime Minister Han met at the Okura Hotel in Tokyo on the morning of the same day during their visit to Japan to attend the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

They also jointly condemned North Korea's recent ballistic missile launches and agreed to work together to resolve the threats posed by North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

Vice President Harris emphasized, "The ROK-U.S. alliance is the linchpin of peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the world."

The White House explained that she also reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the defense relationship between the two countries and welcomed alliance expansion measures to address the challenges of this era.

Meanwhile, Vice President Harris will visit South Korea on the 29th and visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

Regarding this, a White House official explained, as reported by a U.S. media outlet, "The Vice President will recall the sacrifices of tens of thousands of U.S. and South Korean military personnel who fought and died together, and reaffirm that the U.S. commitment to South Korea's defense is ironclad."

Earlier that day, Prime Minister Han expressed his welcome during the meeting with Vice President Harris, saying, "Visiting the DMZ during the Seoul visit is very symbolic," and "The South Korean government and people are very much looking forward to meeting Vice President Harris in person."