The port visit of the US Navy's Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson to Busan Naval Base in South Korea angered North Korea, with Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, issuing a stern warning to the US.
Denouncing the presence of the aircraft carrier and possibly the past military activities, including the deployment of US aircraft carriers, long-range bombers and nuclear-powered submarines over the Korean peninsula, Kim Yo Jong said "As soon as its new administration appeared this year, the US has stepped up the political and military provocations against the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), 'carrying forward' the former administration's hostile policy."
South Korean Navy had claimed that the arrival of Carl Vinson in Busan was a show of force against North Korea. This, even as President Donald Trump has said he will reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again to revive diplomacy.
North Korea views temporary deployments of such powerful US military assets as major security threats.
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"Hostile policy toward the DPRK pursued by the US at present is offering sufficient justification for the DPRK to indefinitely bolster ... its nuclear war deterrent," she said.
Downplaying the threat issued by North Korea, South Korea's defence ministry said DPRK's nuclear weapons are never acceptable, and the only way for North Korea to survive is to abandon its obsession and delusion about nuclear weapons.
“The Carl Vinson’s carrier strike group operations demonstrate our commitment to bolster the defense of allies and partners and strengthen our ability to ‘fight tonight and win.’ This visit, especially when coupled with realistic all domain, joint and combined training, increases interoperability and ensures we build the readiness posture to deter aggression and maintain stability in the Republic of Korea and the region,” Army Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of United Nations Command had said in a statement.
