"A US naval strike group led by the aircraft carrier Nimitz will arrive in South Korea this weekend for sea drills, officials said Friday, following joint exercises that infuriated North Korea.
In addition to the nuclear-powered Nimitz, the group includes three guided-missile cruisers and destroyers, the US military said in a statement, without specifying the total size of the group.
A port call in the southern city of Busan is planned for Saturday.
"US Navy ship visits are a tangible symbol of US commitment in the region and show continued interest in ensuring a climate for regional stability and economic prosperity," the statement said.
Military tensions on the Korean peninsula have been high for months, with the North issuing a series of apocalyptic threats over what it sees as intensely provocative US-South Korean joint exercises.
The friction has smoothed in the past week after the annual ground exercises were wrapped up at the end of April, and a US defence official said North Korea had moved two medium-range missiles off their launch pads.
The 97,000-ton Nimitz, one of the world's largest warships, will participate in joint search-and-rescue operations as well as "sea maneuvering" around the Korean Peninsula…"
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