US Nuclear Submarine Arrives in S. Korea

According to the Yonhap News Agency, citing the South Korean Navy, a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the coastal city of Busan, South Korea, on Sunday.

The arrival of the submarine, the USS Missouri, follows the second meeting of South Korea and the United States for the Nuclear Consultative Group in Washington on Friday.

A joint statement from the United States and South Korea issued after the meeting stated that any nuclear attack by North Korea against the US or its allies is unacceptable and will lead to the end of the Kim regime.

A senior South Korean official had earlier indicated that North Korea might conduct an intercontinental ballistic missile test this month, according to Reuters.

Visits by US nuclear submarines were rare in the past, but they have increased under agreements between Seoul and Washington aimed at bolstering deterrence against North Korea.

The US nuclear-powered submarine USS Santa Fe also docked at the port of Jeju Island, South Korea, in November.

The US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson arrived in Busan last month in an attempt to enhance deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.