The nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt arrived in South Korea this Saturday (06/22/2024), in a show of force following the summit this week between Russia and North Korea.
The ship entered the Busan naval base, 320 kilometers from Seoul, the South Korean Navy said, along with the destroyer USS Halsey equipped with a 7,600-ton Aegis ship.
This marks the first arrival of a US aircraft carrier to South Korea in seven months since the visit of the USS Carl Vinson in November, also the first stop in Busan of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which participated in a trilateral naval exercise between South Korea, the United States. United States and Japan in April.
The arrival comes days before the three nations hold their first trilateral multidisciplinary exercise later this month, known as Freedom Edge, and amid efforts to strengthen cooperation on security issues against possible threats from North Korea.
The United States and South Korea were already carrying out similar exercises under the name Freedom Shield, in which they would now also seek to involve Japan.
The arrival of the aircraft carrier also comes after this week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit in the North Korean capital, which marked the Moscow president’s first visit to the secretive country in more than 24 years.
In this context, they signed a “comprehensive strategic partnership agreement”, which replaces the bilateral agreements sealed until now by Moscow and Pyongyang, which requires both parties not to sign pacts with third countries that infringe the fundamental interests of the other or participate in such acts. .
rr (efe/afp)
