TOKYO (Sputnik) – Earlier in the day, Harris met with the South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo to discuss the issue of the North Korean threat and attended a change of command ceremony for newly appointed South Korean Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Gen. Jeong Kyeong-doo, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Harris is also expected to observe the start of the US-South Korean Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) drills.
Commenting on the upcoming drills, the North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported that the drills would contribute to escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have recently flared up following the adoption of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions in early August in response to Pyongyang’s July missile launches. The move led to North Korea trading threats and warnings with the United States. Most notably, Pyongyang said it might consider an attack on the area near the US territory of Guam in the Western Pacific.
In June, China initiated a road map for the settlement of North Korean crisis, the so-called double freeze plan, which provides for the simultaneous cessation of North Korea's nuclear activity and the US-South Korean military exercises. The initiative has been supported by Russia but rejected by the United States. North Korea has yet to issue a response to the proposal.
