For the first time in five years and a day after a North Korean missile was launched, the United States and South Korea have begun a joint major naval maneuver in the waters off the Asian country.

The four-day exercise is intended to show the two allies' determination to respond to the Korean provocation, South Korea's navy said on Monday.

More than 20 ships are mobilized for the exercise in the Sea of ​​Japan, which the Koreans call the East Sea.

The largest ship is the nuclear-powered American aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, stationed in Yokosuka, Japan, which arrived with its task force in the port of Busan on Friday.

Patrick Welter

Correspondent for business and politics in Japan based in Tokyo.

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The resumption of major naval maneuvers underscores the extent to which the new government of conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol is relying on military deterrence against North Korea.

In this, the government differs significantly from the previous government of left-liberal Moo Jae-in, who, in line with former American President Donald Trump, downgraded military maneuvers in a vain attempt to get closer to North Korea.

But Yoon reverses this development.

In August, for the first time in years, the allies held the traditional Ulchi Freedom Shield summer maneuvers on a large scale and with target practice.

The current naval maneuvers are for cooperation and defense exercises against potential attacks by North Korean ships and submarines.

The launch of what is believed to be a short-range ballistic missile by North Korea over the weekend is seen as Pyongyang's response to the naval maneuver and the visit of the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan.

South Korea had previously reported signs of an impending missile launch from a North Korean submarine.

Another provocation by North Korea could be imminent, according to Seoul.

The missile at the weekend was launched from the mainland.

American Vice President Kamala Harris will also visit South Korea on Thursday.

She is currently still in Tokyo to attend the national funeral ceremony for the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

North Korea likes to use such political occasions to draw attention to itself with military actions.

After a long period of reluctance, the socialist dictatorship has already carried out more than 30 missile tests this year, more than ever before under the rule of Kim Jong-un.

The military in South Korea, Japan and America have also been warning for weeks that the regime in Pyongyang is preparing a seventh nuclear weapons test.

It would be the country's first nuclear weapons test since 2017.