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| 2023-07-24 10:29:25
US nuclear sub-S Korea visit
U.S. nuclear-powered sub enters Jeju port for replenishment purpose: Navy
SEOUL, July 24 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine arrived in South Korea on Monday for a replenishment purpose, Seoul's Navy said, just days after another U.S. strategic submarine departed here following a port visit in a major show of force against growing North Korean threats.
The USS Annapolis, a Los Angeles-class submarine, entered a naval base in the country's southern island of Jeju, as Seoul and Washington are stepping up security coordination amid tensions heightened by Pyongyang's saber-rattling, including its cruise missile launches over the weekend.
"Its entry into the port is to replenish military supplies while on an operations mission," the Navy said in a text message sent to reporters.
It added that the nuclear-powered submarine's key mission is to conduct operations for anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare.
"On the occasion of the USS Annapolis' visit, the Navies of South Korea and the United States plan to strengthen a combined defense posture and conduct exchange activities in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the South Korea-U.S. alliance," the armed service said.
Last Tuesday, the USS Kentucky, an 18,750-ton Ohio-class submarine (SSBN), arrived in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in what was seen as a move to reassure the South Korean public, which is increasingly wary of North Korean nuclear and missile threats, and deter those threats.
The first U.S. SSBN visit to Korea since 1981 came after the U.S. pledged to enhance the "regular visibility" of its key military assets, including the submarine, in the Washington Declaration that Presidents Yoon Suk Yeol and Joe Biden issued during their summit in April.
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