US carrier group arrives in South Korea days after North test-fires missiles
The USS Carl Vinson and its strike group docked in the port of Busan on Sunday.
A US aircraft carrier has arrived in South Korea in a show of force, days after North Korea test-launched cruise missiles to demonstrate its counter-attack capabilities.
The arrival of the USS Carl Vinson and its strike group at the South Korean port of Busan is meant to display a solid US-South Korean military alliance in the face of persistent North Korean threats, and boost inter-operability of the allies’ combined assets, the South Korean navy said in a statement.
It said it is the first US aircraft carrier to travel to South Korea since June.
The deployment of the carrier is expected to infuriate North Korea, which views temporary deployments of such powerful US military assets as major security threats.
North Korea has responded to some of the past deployments of US aircraft carriers, long-range bombers and nuclear-powered submarines with missile tests.
Since his inauguration in January, US President Donald Trump has said he will reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again to revive diplomacy.
North Korea has not directly responded to Mr Trump’s overture but alleged US-led hostilities against North Korea have intensified since his inauguration.
North Korea said on Friday it test-fired strategic cruise missiles earlier last week to inform its adversaries of its military’s counter-attack capability and the readiness of its nuclear operations.
After watching the launches, the North’s fourth missile testing event this year, Mr Kim ordered his military to be fully ready to use its nuclear weapons.
Experts say Mr Kim is unlikely to accept Mr Trump’s overture anytime soon as he is now focusing on Russia and Ukraine
They say Mr Kim could consider resuming diplomacy with Mr Trump when he thinks he cannot maintain his country’s current booming co-operation with Russia
Mr Kim and Mr Trump met three times from 2018-19 during Mr Trump’s first term to discuss the future of North Korea’s nuclear programme. Their high-stakes diplomacy eventually collapsed due to wrangling over US-led economic sanctions on North Korea.
