US aircraft carrier arrives in South Korea amid rising tensions with North Korea

On March 2, the USS Carl Vinson and its strike group arrived in South Korea, underscoring the United States' commitment to its military alliance with South Korea amid escalating tensions with North Korea. 

The deployment, which brings the first U.S. aircraft carrier to South Korea since June, is seen as a direct response to North Korea's recent missile launches, Caliber.Az reports via US media.

The South Korean navy described the arrival of the carrier in the port city of Busan as an important demonstration of the solid U.S.-South Korean military alliance. The visit also aims to enhance the interoperability of the two nations' combined military assets, reinforcing their readiness in the face of growing North Korean threats.

North Korea, however, is likely to view the deployment as a provocation. Pyongyang has consistently reacted to the temporary positioning of U.S. military assets—such as aircraft carriers, long-range bombers, and nuclear-powered submarines—with missile tests and heightened rhetoric, considering such maneuvers as major security threats.

In the wake of the deployment, North Korea conducted a series of strategic cruise missile tests earlier last week. These missile launches, the fourth of their kind this year, were intended to demonstrate North Korea’s counterattack capabilities and readiness to use nuclear weapons if necessary. Kim Jong Un, North Korea's leader, has emphasized the need for military preparedness, particularly in light of his country's growing support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's recent overture to Kim Jong Un, offering a renewed diplomatic approach, experts suggest that North Korea is unlikely to engage in talks anytime soon. With Kim focusing on bolstering his support for Russia, experts believe that North Korea may only resume diplomacy with the U.S. when it sees a shift in its alliance dynamics or a decrease in its cooperation with Russia.

Kim and Trump held high-stakes meetings in 2018 and 2019 to negotiate North Korea’s nuclear program, but their diplomatic efforts ultimately collapsed due to disagreements over economic sanctions. Since Trump's inauguration on January 20, tensions between the U.S. and North Korea have continued to rise, with North Korea accusing the U.S. of escalating hostilities.

By Khagan Isayev