USS Carl Vinson arrives in S. Korea in show of force
The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier arrived at a key naval base in the southeastern city of Busan on Sunday, South Korea's Navy said, reaffirming the US commitment to extended deterrence against continued North Korean threats.
The nuclear-powered vessel of Carrier Strike Group 1 entered the naval base in Busan, about 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in what marked the first such visit by a US aircraft carrier to South Korea since US President Donald Trump's return to the White House in January.
It was also accompanied by the guided missile cruiser USS Princeton and Aegis-equipped destroyer USS Sterett, according to the South's Navy.
The Navy described the visit as part of efforts to implement an "ironclad" US extended deterrence pledge, which Washington recently reaffirmed, and display the robust South Korea-US combined defense posture against persistent North Korean threats.
The allies will seek to bolster their interoperability and hold friendly activities between their naval forces on the occasion of the visit, it added.
"Our military will powerfully retaliate against any North Korean threat, and the South Korea-US alliance will support peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region through close cooperation," Rear Adm. Lee Nam-gyu, director of the maritime operation center at the ROK Fleet, was quoted as saying.
ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, the official name for South Korea.
The USS Carl Vinson last visited South Korea in November 2023, just hours before North Korea successfully placed its first military spy satellite into orbit after two failed attempts.
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