The American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71 arrived in the South Korean port city of Busan on Saturday (June 22) to participate in the joint military exercises held this month with the host countries South Korea and Japan. The South Korean military has not disclosed specific details such as the dates and locations of the military exercises.
This is the first visit to Busan by the Roosevelt aircraft carrier since the USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 visited South Korea in November last year. The U.S. Navy stated that this operation aims to fulfill the commitment of providing extended deterrence to South Korea from the United States, demonstrating the strong joint defense posture between the U.S. and South Korea, and the firm resolve to counter the threats posed by North Korea.
In August last year, the leaders of the United States, Japan, and South Korea held the first historic trilateral summit at Camp David in Maryland and agreed to conduct annual joint military exercises to demonstrate deterrent capabilities against North Korea’s nuclear program and China’s ambition in the South China Sea.
Earlier this month, the defense ministers of the United States, Japan, and South Korea held trilateral talks during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, agreeing to conduct the inaugural multi-domain joint military exercise “Freedom Edge” this summer. The exercise aims to enhance joint operational capabilities in various domains such as sea, land, air, and cyberspace.
This week, Russian President Putin made his first visit to North Korea in 24 years and signed an agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, including a commitment to mutual defense. On the same day, Kim Jong-un announced that North Korea and Russia had reestablished an “alliance” after 28 years.
On Friday (June 21), the South Korean government summoned the Russian Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev to protest the new treaty on mutual defense signed between Russia and North Korea on Wednesday (June 19) by President Putin and Kim Jong-un.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, during his visit to Canada on Wednesday (June 19), stated that authoritarian regimes such as China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran are “unprecedentedly supporting each other,” highlighting the increasing importance of cooperation between NATO and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region.
The 75th NATO Summit is scheduled to be held in Washington, D.C. from July 9 to 11. Stoltenberg mentioned that he plans to use this meeting to further strengthen NATO’s partnerships with Asia-Pacific region partners – Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Japan.