U.S. aircraft carrier Reagan due in S. Korea this month

SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- The USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), a forward-deployed aircraft carrier, will arrive at the South Korean port city of Busan later this month amid signs of a possible nuclear test by North Korea, government sources said Friday.

According to the sources, Seoul and Washington are discussing plans to conduct bilateral exercises on the East Sea after the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier arrives in Busan.

The Reagan is expected to stay in the country for about a week to participate in the military drill with the South Korean Navy, as well as friendly and goodwill events.

"The arrival of the nuclear-powered supercarrier and the planned joint exercises are the results of constant consultations over strategic asset allocation between the Yoon Suk-yeol government and the United States," a government official said.

It is the first time that the Reagan has joined a combined exercise in the waters around the Korean Peninsula since 2017, when Pyongyang conducted its sixth nuclear test.

The naval practice comes as military tensions have been escalating on the Korean Peninsula over the North's looming seventh nuclear test.

The Reagan has a deck the size of three football fields, with nearly 80 aircraft on board ranging from fighter jets to helicopters. It has a crew of 5,000.

brk@yna.co.kr
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