This deployment comes amid heightened tensions following a new security treaty between North Korea and Russia.
Accompanied by the Aegis-equipped destroyer USS Halsey and the USS Daniel Inouye, the USS Theodore Roosevelt's presence is part of a strategic move to enhance security cooperation in the region. The arrival was reported by Seoul-based Yonhap News, citing the South Korean Navy.
The deployment sets the stage for the inaugural trilateral multidomain exercise, Freedom Edge, involving the US, South Korea, and Japan. This exercise, scheduled for later this month, aims to strengthen joint security efforts against potential threats from North Korea. The decision to conduct the exercise was made during three-way talks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore earlier this month.
Tensions in the region have escalated following a recent summit in Pyongyang where North Korean and Russian leaders signed a new partnership agreement. The treaty includes a commitment to provide immediate military assistance to each other if either country is attacked by a third party.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt's presence underscores the ongoing efforts by the US and its allies to bolster defense and deterrence measures in response to North Korea's military activities and the evolving security dynamics in the region. (ILKHA)