Shin Won-sik Aboard US Nuclear Aircraft Carrier: "Immediate Response to North Korean Provocations"

To ROK-US Troops: "Order for a Strong ROK-US Combined Operational Posture"

On the 22nd, the day after North Korea carried out its third launch of a military reconnaissance satellite, Shin Won-sik, Minister of National Defense, visited the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN) and urged South Korean and U.S. troops to maintain a strong combined operational posture.

At the Carl Vinson, which had docked at the Busan operational base the previous day, Minister Shin urged, "Be fully prepared to respond immediately to any form of provocation from North Korea." He then instructed, "Plan combined naval exercises between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan during this visit of the Carl Vinson to demonstrate the strong resolve of the ROK-U.S. alliance." He condemned North Korea’s actions as "a clear violation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions banning all missile launches using ballistic missile technology, and a provocative act that undermines our national security."

Minister Shin also delivered encouragement gifts and messages from President Yoon Suk-yeol to the crew of the Carl Vinson, who were visiting South Korea during the 70th anniversary of the ROK-U.S. alliance and the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday period.

He emphasized, "The deployment of the U.S. carrier strike group to the Korean Peninsula during the U.S.’s biggest holiday, Thanksgiving, is an active implementation of the agreed 'regular visibility enhancement of U.S. strategic assets' between South Korea and the U.S., and is a representative example demonstrating through action that the U.S. security commitment to the Republic of Korea will be firmly upheld under any circumstances."

Carlos Sardielo, Commander of the U.S. Navy’s 1st Carrier Strike Group, who guided Minister Shin on the Carl Vinson, introduced that the carrier is equipped with the fifth-generation stealth fighter F-35C, and said, "The ROK-U.S. alliance is fully prepared to defend the Republic of Korea against any threat." He added, "We are nations sharing the common goal of a free and open Indo-Pacific. Cooperation with allies like South Korea makes us stronger and is crucial in deterring aggression in the Indo-Pacific region."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.