SEOUL, South Korea: In a display of military strength directed at North Korea, a United States nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan, arrived in South Korea on Thursday. This arrival coincided with North Korea’s leader reaffirming efforts to strengthen ties with Russia.
The USS Ronald Reagan, along with its battle group, docked in the southeastern South Korean port of Busan after participating in a trilateral maritime exercise involving South Korea, the United States, and Japan in international waters off a southern South Korean Island earlier in the week. The objective was to bolster cooperation and readiness in the region, as per the South Korean Defense Ministry.
Under a bilateral agreement aimed at increasing the regular visibility of U.S. strategic assets in response to North Korea’s advancing nuclear program, the aircraft carrier is set to remain in Busan until the following Monday. This deployment marks the first arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier in South Korea in six months, following the USS Nimitz’s docking in late March, according to the statement released by the Defense Ministry.
The presence of the USS Ronald Reagan is expected to provoke North Korea, which perceives the deployment of such a formidable U.S. military asset as a significant security threat. North Korea previously voiced strong objections during joint military drills involving the USS Ronald Reagan and South Korean forces off the Korean Peninsula’s east coast in October 2022, conducting ballistic missile tests in response.
Concerns are escalating regarding North Korea’s efforts to obtain advanced weapons technologies from Russia, potentially in exchange for supplying ammunition to replenish Russia’s depleted conventional arms stores due to its prolonged conflict with Ukraine. These concerns were heightened following North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s recent visit to Russia’s Far East to meet President Vladimir Putin and inspect vital weapons-making facilities.
Many experts speculate that Kim seeks Russian assistance in developing more reliable weapons systems, particularly targeting the United States and South Korea. Both Washington and Seoul have cautioned that any weapons transfer deal between Moscow and Pyongyang would violate U.N. Security Council resolutions, leading to consequences for both nations.
On Thursday, Kim and Putin exchanged messages commemorating 75 years of diplomatic ties between their countries. Kim expressed satisfaction over the “exchange of candid and comprehensive opinions” during his trip to Russia, foreseeing the further development of bilateral ties. He also expressed hope that the Russian people would overcome imperialistic policies and efforts aimed at isolating and suppressing Russia. Putin reciprocated, expressing contentment with the positive development of bilateral ties in all aspects.
