Vice President Harris to visit DMZ during South Korea trip

• She will visit just days after North Korea conducted another ballistic missile test and amid fears that Pyongyang is preparing its first nuclear weapons test since 2017.

What they're saying: South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo first announced the vice president's DMZ trip during a meeting with Harris on Tuesday, saying, "I think your visit to DMZ in Seoul is a real — a very symbolic demonstration of your strong commitment to the security and peace on the Korean Peninsula."

• The trip was later confirmed by a White House official, who said in a statement "the visit will underscore the strength of the U.S.-ROK Alliance, and the United States’ commitment to stand beside the ROK in the face of any threats posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)."
• "The Vice President will tour sites at the DMZ, meet with service members, and receive an operational briefing from U.S. commanders," the official added.

The big picture: North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile off its east coast into the sea on Sunday — its first ballistic missile test since this summer, when it launched eight short-range missiles, the New York Times reports.

• U.S. and South Korean officials have warned for months that North Korea appears to be preparing its seventh nuclear weapons test.
• A U.S. carrier strike group launched joint military exercises with the South Korean navy on Monday after arriving on the peninsula late last week.
• North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations condemned the drills in a speech to the General Assembly on Monday.

Go deeper: North Korea adopts more aggressive nuclear position