South Korea and the U.S. have announced that they will conduct combined military exercises in the West Sea next week in response to North Korea’s surprise assault on Yeonpyeong Island yesterday afternoon.
The military exercise, which is scheduled to continue for three days from November 28th to December 1st, is due to include aircraft carrier the USS George Washington.
The aircraft carrier, more than a kilometer in length and powered by two nuclear reactors, left port in Japan this morning en route to South Korea.
Cruisers USS Cowpens and USS Shiloh and destroyers USS Stethem and USS Fitzgerald are also due to participate.
Despite the timing, a statement carried by U.S. Forces Korea yesterday said that the exercise was “planned well before yesterday’s unprovoked artillery attack,” and represents the “next exercise in the series announced at the 2+2 meetings in July.”
“It demonstrates the strength of the ROK-U.S. Alliance and our commitment to regional stability through deterrence,” the statement also noted. “It is also designed to improve our military interoperability.”
The exercises will include air defense and surface warfare readiness training.
According to a White House statement, the precise date of the exercise was agreed by President Obama and President Lee Myung Bak during a phone call last night.
The two presidents apparently “agreed to hold combined military exercises and enhanced training in the days ahead to continue the close security cooperation between our two countries, and to underscore the strength of our Alliance and commitment to peace and security in the region.”
