S. Korea, U.S., Japan in talks to hold joint maritime drill in response to N.K. spy satellite launch

▲ The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier arrives at a naval base in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Nov. 21, 2023. (Yonhap)

S Korea-US-Japan-maritime drill

S. Korea, U.S., Japan in talks to hold joint maritime drill in response to N.K. spy satellite launch

SEOUL, Nov. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is in talks with the United States and Japan about holding a joint maritime drill involving a U.S. aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula in response to North Korea's claimed success of its spy satellite launch, government sources said Wednesday.

The navies of South Korea and the U.S. will be joined by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in the envisioned drill, with the USS Carl Vinson, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier currently docked in Busan, joining the exercise, multiple government sources said.

"We're in consultations to conduct joint South Korea-U.S., and South Korea-U.S.-Japan maritime exercises in the southern waters of the Korean Peninsula this weekend, when the Carl Vinson is set to return," a source said.

The South Korea-U.S. drill is likely to take place on Saturday, with the three-way exercise to follow on Sunday.

The USS Carl Vinson arrived at a naval base in the southeastern port city on Monday, in an apparent show of readiness against the North's launch preparations.

North Korea claimed a new type of Chollima-1 space rocket successfully put the Malligyong-1 satellite into orbit on Tuesday night, just months after two botched attempts in May and August, respectively.

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