Kamala Harris is in Asia. She led a U.S. presidential delegation to the funeral of the former prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe. The details of her itinerary have been kept under wraps but on Tuesday South Korean prime minister Han Duck-soo said that Kamala will visit the Korean demilitarized zone. That statement was later confirmed by a U.S. official.

I admit I’ve been keeping an eye on headlines since the vice-president left for Tokyo. This is the second time the Biden administration has sent her to Asia. She traveled to Singapore in August 2021 to strengthen our Indo-Pacific relationships. She criticized China for its incursions in the South China Sea during her speech. In Vietnam, on that same trip, Kamala spread around promises of some sweet, sweet American taxpayer dollars in foreign aid. I keep waiting for her to randomly cackle unexpectedly or say something that requires clean-up.

Apparently Kamala got through the funeral of Prime Minister Abe without an international incident. She sat next to the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel. (I know, I keep forgetting he is the ambassador, too.) In case you are wondering, she and Emanuel sat in the fifth row. That was better seating that Joe and Jill Biden had at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.

US VP Kamala Harris, flanked by current ⁦@USAmbJapan⁩ as well as former ambassadors William Hagerty and Caroline Kennedy pic.twitter.com/HzWzFhKjaX

— Motoko Rich (@motokorich) September 27, 2022

It was my privilege to introduce @VP Harris during her welcome reception with the @USEmbassyTokyo community. Thank you for inspiring our dedicated staff and patriotic families, Madame Vice President. pic.twitter.com/jjXjegwd4N

— ラーム・エマニュエル駐日米国大使 (@USAmbJapan) September 27, 2022

Maybe Kamala doesn’t want to be upstaged by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi also visited the DMZ when she was in South Korea in August. The last person to go to the DMZ before Pelosi was Trump who went in 2019 when he met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Kamala doesn’t hesitate to visit other country’s borders but when it comes to the United States, she takes a hard pass. In South Korea she met with Asian leaders and emphasised the U.S.’s commitment to regional security. If only we had regional security… You would think that Kamala would get the message of how important borders and sovereignty are as she travels overseas, but no. She comes home and doesn’t change course at all.

After the South Korean leader revealed that Ms Harris would be visiting the border area between South and North Korea on Thursday, a senior US official said: “Nearly 70 years since the Korean Armistice, the visit will underscore the strength of the alliance between Seoul and Washington in the face of any threats posed by North Korea.”

The Associated Press quoted an anonymous US official as saying that Ms Harris “will tour sites at the DMZ, meet with service members and receive an operational briefing from US commanders”.

The official added that she will also “reflect on the shared sacrifice of tens of thousands of American and Korean soldiers who fought and died together” in the war that divided the peninsula seven decades ago.

North Korea provided a little drama just before Kamala’s visit to Seoul. Little Rocket Man’s gotta rocket.

The visit comes amid concerns over North Korea’s missile and nuclear programmes. In fact, North Korea fired a single, short-range ballistic missile from near the Taechon area of North Pyongyan Province just before 7am local time. It flew about 600km at an altitude of 60km with a speed of Mach 5, right before Ms Harris’s visit to Seoul.

“North Korea’s launch of a ballistic missile is an act of grave provocation that threatens the peace and security of the Korean peninsula and international community,” South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said in a statement.

Kamala assured the South Koreans that the United States stands with them. “We stand with you in the face of threats,” she said.

She also met with Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese. Kamala told him that our countries have a “common goal and bond as it relates to our dedication to peace and security.”

As I wrote above, so far so good. I’m still keeping an eye on headlines, though.