The USS Carl Vinson arrives at a key naval base in the southeastern city of Busan on March 2, 2025.
SEOUL/BUSAN, March 3 (Korea Bizwire) — The USS Carl Vinson’s arrival in South Korea this week underscores the deepening alliance between Washington and Seoul, a U.S. admiral stated Monday, a day after the aircraft carrier docked in the southeastern city of Busan.
At a press conference aboard the USS Carl Vinson, Rear Adm. Michael Wosje, commander of Carrier Strike Group 1, emphasized that the carrier’s presence reaffirms the strength and commitment of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.
The USS Carl Vinson is docked at a naval base in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on March 3, 2025.
The visit marks the first time a U.S. aircraft carrier has docked in the country since President Donald Trump took office.
F/A-18 fighters are seen on the deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson at a naval base in the southeastern port city of Busan on March 3, 2025. The warship of the U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Group 1 entered the naval base the previous day in what marked the first such visit by a U.S. aircraft carrier to South Korea since U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January.
When asked whether trilateral security cooperation between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan could weaken under the Trump administration, Wosje declined to comment directly but stressed that the warship’s presence in Busan demonstrates that the alliance remains strong and well-maintained.
He added that Carrier Strike Group 1 will continue working toward the shared goals of peace, prosperity, and stability in the region, reinforcing U.S. commitment to its South Korean ally.
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson docks at a naval base in the southeastern port city of Busan on March 2, 2025. The warship of the U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Group 1 entered the naval base in what marked the first such visit by a U.S. aircraft carrier to South Korea since U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January.
The USS Carl Vinson arrived in Busan alongside several accompanying warships, including the USS Princeton, a guided-missile cruiser, and the USS Sterett, an Aegis-equipped destroyer.
The visit comes eight months after the USS Theodore Roosevelt docked in Busan to participate in trilateral military exercises with South Korea and Japan in June 2024.
R. Adm. Michael Wosje (L), commander of Carrier Strike Group 1, shakes hands with Lee Nam-gyu, director of the maritime operation center at the ROK Fleet, aboard the USS Carl Vinson docked at a naval base in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on March 3, 2025.
Image credit: Yonhap / photonews@koreabiziwre.com
