US aircraft carrier arrives in South Korea in show of force

A US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea on Saturday for a tripartite military exercise against North Korean threats that have increased after its alliance with Russia.

The arrival of the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group in Busan comes a day after South Korea summoned the Russian ambassador to protest the agreement between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in which the countries pledge help in case of an attack.

South Korea says the deal poses a threat to its security and warned that it could send weapons to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russian invasion, which would surely sour its relations with Moscow.

After a meeting of their defense ministers in Singapore a few days ago, the United States, South Korea and Japan announced the maneuvers dubbed “Freedom Edge”, with the aim of improving the countries’ response capacity in various theaters of operation, including the air, the sea and cyberspace.

The Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group will participate in the maneuvers, which are due to begin sometime this month. South Korean forces have not released details of the exercise.

The South Korean navy said in a statement that the arrival of the Theodore Roosevelt demonstrates a strong defense posture for allies and “the firm willingness to respond to growing North Korean threats.” The aircraft carrier’s visit comes seven months after another aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, came to South Korea in a show of force against North Korea.

The Theodore Roosevelt group also participated in an exercise with South Korea and Japan in April in the disputed South China Sea, where concerns are growing over Chinese territorial claims.

Faced with North Korean threats, the United States, South Korea and Japan have increased their joint training and the visibility of American military resources in the region, in an attempt to intimidate the North. The United States and South Korea have also been updating their nuclear deterrence strategies, and Seoul is seeking American assurances that Washington will quickly and decisively use its nuclear capabilities to defend it in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack.

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