US-South Korea drills launch, spark regional tensions
US Navy and South Korean Navy launch joint operation drills which will continue over the course of the next four days after USS Reagan and other US vessels docked in Busan, South Korea last week.
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US Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan arrives in Busan, South Korea (Reuters)
A US aircraft carrier and its battle group began conducting training exercises with South Korean warships on Monday off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula.
The nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan, the USS Chancellorsville, a guided-missile cruiser, and the USS Barry, a guided missile destroyer, which anchored in Busan, South Korea on September 23, were taking part in the drills.
The drills come after a day after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) allegedly launched a short-range ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap, citing the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
The drills will take place over the course of four days and are aimed to demonstrate the allies' “powerful resolve to respond to North Korean [DPRK] provocations” and advance their ability to conduct joint naval operations, according to a statement from the South Korean navy.
In addition to the US naval vessels aforementioned, the South Korean navy stated that more than 20 US and South Korean navy ships were mobilized for the drills, alongside US and South Korean fighter jets and helicopters will also take part in the training.
These drills would be the first of their kind to be performed in the Korean Peninsula since 2017 when the US sent naval vessels, inclusive of the USS Reagan, in supposed response to the DPRK's alleged nuclear and missile testing.
South Koreans protest against US-Seoul war drills, demanding US out
The magnitude of the US administration's influence over mainstream media is no hoax, notably as there were barely any reports about the thousands of South Korean unionists and supporters who rallied in Seoul's downtown on August 13 to protest against the joint US-South Korea war games.
There's a Western media blackout of protests in South Korea against US military exercises.
— Danny Haiphong (@SpiritofHo) August 18, 2022
PressTV and CGTN have covered them. But we're supposed to believe "state-affiliated" media is propaganda, not the corporate news outlets running interference for empire.
The drills, which were the largest in years, come after the election of incumbent President Yoon Suk-yeol, who promised tougher stances against North Korea. Union leaders, however, have been concerned regarding the risks that come with such policy.
South Koreans held banners demanding that the US leave their land.
Thousands of South Korean progressives and unionists have gathered in downtown Seoul to protest against the joint #US-#SouthKorea military exercises scheduled to begin on August 22.
— AMERICAN WATCHER ☭ (@joshuamills044) August 16, 2022
pic.twitter.com/cGjsbG0Hgo
Many South Koreans argue that the US military and Seoul's alliance with Washington prevent the improvement of ties with DPRK, generating further tension.
Read more: US pours $600M into the Pacific to "counter China's influence"
