A United States Navy aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, has arrived in South Korea as part of a show of force amidst growing concerns over deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia. The carrier docked in the port of Busan on Saturday in preparation for trilateral exercises with South Korea and Japan in the waters near the peninsula.
The joint statement released by Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo on Monday strongly condemned the new 'strategic partnership' between North Korea and Russia, which was solidified during Russian leader Vladimir Putin's recent visit to Pyongyang. The statement expressed grave concerns over the deepening military cooperation and mutual defense pact between Moscow and Pyongyang.
