Nuclear sub USS Kentucky makes first port call in South Korea in four decades

[Kamaji]

Nuclear sub USS Kentucky makes first port call in South Korea in four decades

By Richard Pollina
July 18, 2023

A US nuclear-capable submarine has made port in South Korea for the first time in four decades — days following North Korea’s testing of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

“As we speak, an American nuclear submarine is making port in Busan today,” Kurt Campbell, the White House Indo-Pacific coordinator, told reporters in Seoul on Tuesday.

Campbell did not identify the submarine by name during his comments to the press — but it was later confirmed to be the USS Kentucky, an Ohio class SSBN (Sub-surface ballistic nuclear), by South Korea’s defense ministry.

The move is an effort to display America’s strong commitment to its South Korean allies as tensions on the peninsula continue to boil.

“The United States’ ironclad commitment to the Republic of Korea for our extended deterrence guarantee,” the US military said in a statement on Tuesday, using South Korea’s official name.

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Source:  https://nypost.com/2023/07/18/us-nuclear-submarine-uss-kentucky-makes-first-port-call-in-south-korea-in-four-decades/