US Vice President Kamala Harris has visited the Demilitarized Zone that divides North and South Korea, and issued a strong warning to North Korea.

Prior to that, Harris held talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol for about an hour and a half on Thursday in Seoul. She was visiting South Korea for the first time since taking office.

The White House says that Harris and Yoon reaffirmed their nations' alignment on North Korea and their goal of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The vice president also underscored the benefits of improving bilateral ties between Japan and South Korea.

South Korea's presidential office says that the two leaders denounced the North for adopting a law on the use of nuclear weapons and repeatedly launching ballistic missiles. They also reaffirmed the US commitment to strengthening deterrence.

During her visit to the demilitarized zone, Harris was briefed by South Korean military officials. She used binoculars to view the North Korean side.

After the visit, Harris said, "In the North, we see a brutal dictatorship, rampant human rights violations and an unlawful weapons program that threatens peace and stability."

Pyongyang fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Wednesday.

Political observers say Harris's visit to South Korea is aimed at demonstrating the unity between Washington and Seoul and maintaining pressure on the North.