Busan: The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier arrived at a key naval base in the southeastern city of Busan on Sunday, South Korea’s Navy said, reaffirming the US commitment to extended deterrence against continued North Korean threats. The nuclear-powered vessel of Carrier Strike Group 1 entered the naval base in Busan, about 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in what marked the first such visit by a US aircraft carrier to South Korea since US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January.

According to Qatar News Agency, the USS Carl Vinson was accompanied by the guided missile cruiser USS Princeton and Aegis-equipped destroyer USS Sterett, as stated by South Korea’s Navy. The USS Carl Vinson last visited South Korea in November 2023, just hours before North Korea successfully placed its first military spy satellite into orbit after two failed attempts.

The latest visit comes about eight months after the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier visited Busan to take part in the inaugural Freedom Edge multidomain exercise conducted among South Korea, the US, and Japan in June last year.