The US and South Korea begin joint naval exercises.
On February 4th, South Korea and the United States began a three-day joint naval exercise off the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula, aimed at demonstrating strength amid rumors that North Korea was preparing for a third nuclear test.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the exercise involved the nuclear-powered submarine USS San Francisco and the US destroyer Shiloh, which is equipped with cruise missiles.
Illustrative image. (Source: THX/VNA)
Meanwhile, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that the country deployed 10 warships, including the 7,600-ton Aegis-class destroyer "King Sejong the Great," a smaller escort vessel, maritime surveillance and anti-submarine aircraft, and numerous helicopters.
The purpose of the exercise was to send a warning message to North Korea, which had declared it would conduct a "high-level nuclear test" and continued to launch more long-range missiles in protest against UN sanctions after its satellite launch on December 12, 2012.
The West believes this was essentially a long-range missile test, while Pyongyang insists the launch was intended to put a satellite into orbit for scientific research.
According to (VNA) - DT
