US aircraft carrier arrives in ROK

The US Navy's nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) aircraft carrier (bottom) and USS Barry Aegis-equipped destroyer (top) arrive at ROK Fleet Command in Busan, 390 kilometers south of Seoul, on Sept 23, 2022. (YONHAP / AFP)

BUSAN, Republic of Korea – A US aircraft carrier arrived in the Republic of Korea on Friday for the first time in about four years due to join ROK ships in joint exercises. 

USS Ronald Reagan and ships from its accompanying strike force docked at a naval base in the southern port city of Busan.

Its arrival marks the most significant deployment yet under a new push to have more US nuclear-capable "strategic assets" operate in the area

Its arrival marks the most significant deployment yet under a new push to have more US nuclear-capable "strategic assets" operate in the area.

The visit is the first to ROK by an American aircraft carrier since 2018. That year, the allies scaled back many of their joint military activities amid diplomatic efforts to engage with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, but those talks have since stalled.

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