The South Korean navy reported on Sunday the arrival of the U.S. nuclear-powered submarine USS Missouri (SSN-780) in the port city of Busan. This was disclosed by the Yonhap news agency.
This development follows the second Nuclear Consultative Group meeting between South Korea and the U.S. held in Washington on Friday.
A joint statement from the meeting emphasized the stance that any nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies is unacceptable and would lead to the end of the Kim regime.
Amid growing concerns, a senior South Korean official warned earlier in the week about the possibility of North Korea test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile this month.
While visits by U.S. nuclear submarines were once infrequent, their frequency has risen under agreements between Seoul and Washington aimed at bolstering deterrence against North Korea. In November, another U.S. nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Santa Fe, visited a port on the South Korean island of Jeju.
Last month, the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson also docked at a Busan port, part of ongoing efforts to enhance deterrence against North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
