U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to visit the demilitarized zone(DMZ) separating the two Koreas during her trip to Seoul later this week.

In his meeting with Harris in Tokyo on Tuesday, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said that a visit to the DMZ is very symbolic, adding that the South Korean government and its people are looking forward to her in-person visit.

Commending the enhanced cooperation between Seoul and Washington in their commitment to universal values such as human rights and the market economy, the prime minister added that he hopes joint efforts will continue to resolve outstanding issues.

Harris, for her part, said she hopes the two countries will expand their partnership in various fields, such as innovation, technology and space, saying the Seoul-Washington alliance is the linchpin of regional security in the Indo-Pacific region.

According to the prime minister's office, the two also discussed a “global comprehensive partnership” as agreed upon by President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden during their Seoul summit in May.

Prime Minister Han also conveyed South Korea's concerns over the discriminatory aspects of the Inflation Reduction Act, calling for Washington's keen attention and support to ensure that South Korean-made electric vehicles are not unfairly excluded from tax incentives.