An American aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea on Friday (September 23) for the first time in almost five years, ahead of joint drills in a show of force against North Korea armed with the nuclear weapon. The nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan and her task force ships docked in the southeastern port city of Busan.
“The dispatch of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan to Busan demonstrates the strength of the alliance between South Korea and the United States,” a South Korean defense ministry official told AFP.
warn North Korea
The arrival of these American military ships is intended to “deter nuclear and missile threats from North Korea,” he added. The warships will take part in joint maneuvers on South Korea’s east coast this month, Yonhap News Agency reported, adding that the nuclear-powered submarine USS Annapolis is also expected.
Seoul and Washington want to increase the presence of American strategic forces in the region. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office in May, has promised to step up joint military exercises with the United States after diplomacy failed under his predecessor.
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Pyongyang has conducted a record number of missile tests this year and earlier this month reviewed legislation on its nuclear arsenal, which it ruled out. The arrival of the aircraft carrier comes after several months of warnings from South Korean and American officials that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could conduct a new nuclear test.
North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests since 2006. The last, most powerful, dates back to 2017 and was carried out with a 250-kiloton hydrogen bomb, according to Pyongyang.
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Washington is a close security ally of Seoul. Around 28,500 American soldiers are stationed in South Korea to protect it from its neighbor. The two countries have long held joint drills that they describe as defensive but which Pyongyang sees as rehearsals for an invasion.
Last month, Washington and Seoul held their largest joint exercises since 2018 after large-scale training was curtailed due to the pandemic and diplomatic failures with Pyongyang.
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