A US aircraft carrier and other warships are heading to the Yellow Sea, in a show of force by Washington to deter Pyongyang from further attacks following North Korea’s shelling of a South Korean island in the area.
The deployment of the USS George Washington, which carries 75 jets, is likely to spark protests from Beijing and Pyongyang. The Yellow Sea sits between the Korean peninsula and China. Washington said it would start joint naval exercises with Seoul on Sunday after the bombardment of Yeonpyeong island on Tuesday killed four people, including two marines, and injured more than a dozen troops and civilians.
“This exercise is defensive in nature,” the US military said in a statement on Wednesday. “While planned well before yesterday’s unprovoked artillery attack, it demonstrates the strength of the Republic of Korea-US alliance and our commitment to regional stability through deterrence.”