TOKYO, Sept 27 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will visit the de-militarised zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea on Thursday, according to U.S. and South Korean officials.

The visit was announced on Tuesday by South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo during a meeting with Harris in Tokyo and was later confirmed by a U.S. official.

Harris is in the region to lead a U.S. presidential delegation to the funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday.

"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 U.S. official said.

The official asked not to be named discussing a trip that Harris has not officially announced.

Harris would tour the DMZ, meet with service members, receive an operational briefing from U.S. commanders, reflect on the shared sacrifice of American and South Korean soldiers and reaffirm the "ironclad" commitment to South Korean security, the official added.