Seoul, Jul 29 (EFE).- South Korea and the United States carried out naval maneuvers this Saturday in which a nuclear-powered submarine from the US Navy participated, in a new deterrent show for the North Korean regime.
The joint exercises took place in waters south of the South Korean island of Jeju and involved the South Korean destroyer ROKS Yulgok Yi I, equipped with the Aegis combat system, the Seoul submarine ROKS Yi Sun-sin and the American USS Annapolis. , as announced by the South Korean Navy.
The maneuvers were focused on training response procedures to the threat of a North Korean submarine, such as its search, tracking or identification of the target, they detailed.
“The exercise was prepared to strengthen the response capabilities of the South Korean and US Navies, and to enhance interoperability in preparation against submarine infiltrations in the face of increasing threats from North Korean missile provocations,” the Seoul Navy said in a statement collected by the local Yonhap news agency.
Tension between South Korea, its neighbor to the North and the United States is at one of its highest points since denuclearization negotiations with the North Korean regime failed, which since last year has intensified its missile tests in line with the review of its Defense strategy.
The most recent test took place last Monday, when North Korea launched two short-range ballistic projectiles after the aforementioned US submarine arrived at the Jeju naval base hours earlier for these exercises.
The maneuvers by Seoul and Washington have taken place shortly after the commemoration on the 27th day of the armistice of the Korean War (1950-53), the civil war that divided the Korean peninsula in its current form and during whose celebrations Pyongyang has exhibited closeness with Beijing and Moscow, mediating the participation of a delegation from these countries in the events.
