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The US Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier 'Abraham Lincoln' entered the high seas of the East Sea.
They plan to stay until the weekend to conduct training and operations, but the Lincoln Carrier Group's entry into the East Sea is interpreted as a strong warning from the US about signs of further North Korean provocations.
This is reporter Bae Jun-woo.
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The 'Abraham Lincoln' carrier group entered the East Sea through the Korea Strait.
It is said that the Lincoln Carrier Group will stay in the East Sea for about a week to conduct reconnaissance of major North Korean facilities and even an operation to collect electronic signals.
A high-ranking government source told SBS, "The Lincoln Carrier Group will remain in our military's operational zone until tomorrow (14th), and then continue training and operations in the East Sea and high seas until at least the weekend."
The U.S. carrier group usually left immediately after conducting joint naval exercises, but it is unusual to stay for a week or so.
Although the plan for joint naval training with the ROK Navy or the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has not been finalized, there is a possibility that the training will be held at the last minute as the duration of stay of the carrier group is sufficient.
Just yesterday, the crisis management staff training, which is the pre-training of the ROK-US joint drill in the first half of the year, started yesterday, and the main training, the command post training, will continue from the 18th to the 28th.
During this period, important events from North Korea, such as the 110th anniversary of Kim Il-sung's birthday, are scheduled for one after another, so the South Korean and American authorities are closely monitoring the possibility of an armed provocation.
While the United States has even issued a warning of a carrier-based pressure training exercise, attention is focused on how far it will raise the level if North Korea proceeds with a provocation.