U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris had one job this week, to visit the tense Korean Penninsula and reaffirm America’s alliance with South Korea. Instead, she announced a new alliance with North Korea.
“The United States shares a very important relationship which is an alliance with the republic of North Korea,” she said at the podium inside the demilitarized zone that separates the two countries who have unofficially been at war since the 1950s.
Later, the office of the Vice President fixed Harris’ gaffe and modified the official transcript online to reflect what she should have said.
“So, the United States shares a very important relationship, which is an alliance with the Republic of Korea. And it is an alliance that is strong and enduring. And today, there were several demonstrations of just that point,” her office said in the official transcript.
Later in her speech, Harris corrected her gaffe.
“I cannot state enough that the commitment of the United States to the defense of the Republic of Korea is ironclad and that we will do everything in our power to ensure that it has meaning in every way that the words suggest. This includes our extended deterrence commitment, which is supported by the full range of U.S. military capabilities, again, as demonstrated right here before you,” she said.