The US is increasingly involved in a dangerous tit-for-tat with North Korea while supporting its South Korean ally. Following Pyongyang's ultra-provocative intermediate range missile test a day ago, which saw a North Korean missile fly high over Japan, the US has repositioned a nuclear-powered aircraft just off the Korean Peninsula.
"The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan is now in the Sea of Japan, a Navy spokesperson confirmed Wednesday, returning to the area after the warship concluded an exercise with the South Korean and Japanese navies on Friday," Politico writes.
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| USS Ronald Reagan, via US Navy |
The carrier repositioning also comes amid joint US-South Korean military drills. "In an immediate response to the launch, four U.S. and four South Korean fighter jets dropped bombs on an uninhabited island in the Yellow Sea, while U.S. and Japanese warplanes also flew together over the Sea of Japan," Politico continued
Late Wednesday, the government of Kim Jong-un has reacted, denouncing the US carrier group's presence as a threat to regional stability.
With tensions already soaring, also given the failed South Korean Tuesday missile launch in response, which proved somewhat of an embarrassment, Bloomberg is reporting the following:
North Korea's foreign ministry criticizes US for referring what it calls an "appropriate response" to recent drills by US and allies to the UN Security Council, says NK closely monitoring the US aircraft carrier group that it says threatens regional stability.
US Navy Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group returned to Sea of Japan after North Korea launched a long range ballistic missile. Sudden change of plans? https://t.co/lOKnJLNQH2
— Ryan Chan 陳家翹 (@ryankakiuchan) October 5, 2022
As for the aforementioned incident of the South Korean misfire, the AP wrote, "The explosion and subsequent fire panicked and confused residents of the coastal city of Gangneung, who were already uneasy over the increasingly provocative weapons tests by rival North Korea."
"Their concern that it could be a North Korean attack only grew as the military and government officials provided no explanation about the explosion for hours," the report continued. The UN Security Council met Wednesday to discuss North Korea's missile launch. China and Russia have thus far resisted a public discussion of the issue, however.
