US deploys 2nd nuclear-armed submarine to South Korea amid surging tensions with North
The US has deployed a second nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) to a port in South Korea, as part of a recent agreement between the two allies to purportedly deter North Korea's growing military might.
According to a statement issued by South Korea’s Navy, the USS Annapolis arrived at a naval base in southern island of Jeju on Monday, to load military supplies while on an unspecified operational mission.
"The two countries' navies plan to strengthen the combined defense posture with the arrival of the USS Annapolis, and conduct exchange activities to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the alliance," it further added.
The latest development comes almost a week after the US military deployed its first SSBN to South Korea amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The USS Kentucky, an Ohio-class submarine, arrived in the port of Busan on Tuesday, marking the first visit by a US SSBN to the country in almost 44 years.
Back in April, US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed on the periodic deployment of American nuclear assets to the Korean Peninsula. They also agreed to establish a bilateral NCG and to expand military exercises.
North Korea has strongly condemned the agreement to deploy US nuclear assets in South Korea, vowing to respond proportionally to the deal.
North Korea has been under harsh sanctions by the United States and the United Nations Security Council for years over its deterrent nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Pyongyang has ramped up its missile tests in response to persisting joint war games by US and South Korean military forces near its territorial waters. In 2022, it launched an unprecedented number of missiles, including its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile ever.
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