A US aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea on Friday for the first time in nearly five years, ahead of joint military exercises in a show of force directed at North Korea.
The nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group docked in the southern port city of Busan, as part of efforts by Seoul and Washington to bolster US strategic assets in the region.
“The deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan in Busan demonstrates the strength of the South Korea-US alliance,” a South Korean defense ministry official said, noting that the visit aims to “deter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.”
According to the US Navy, the USS Ronald Reagan is accompanied on a visit to South Korea by two ships of its strike group, the USS Chancellorsville, a guided-missile cruiser, and the USS Barry, a guided-missile destroyer.
The South Korean “Yonhap” news agency reported that the pieces will participate in joint exercises on the east coast of South Korea this month, and the nuclear-powered submarine “USS Annapolis” is also expected to participate.
The carrier’s visit comes months after South Korean and US officials warned that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was preparing to conduct another nuclear test.
Source: French press agency