A nuclear-propelled U.S. submarine has arrived in South Korea in the second

deployment of a major U.S. naval asset to the Korean Peninsula this month, South
Korea’s military said Monday, adding to the allies’ show of force to counter North
Korean nuclear threats.

The USS Annapolis arrived at a port on Jeju Island about a week after the USS
Kentucky docked at the mainland port of Busan.

The Kentucky was the first U.S. nuclear-armed submarine to come to South Korea
since the 1980s. North Korea reacted to its arrival by test-firing ballistic and cruise
missiles in apparent demonstrations that it could make nuclear strikes against South
Korea and deployed U.S. naval vessels.

In between those launches, North Korea’s defense minister issued a veiled threat
insisting the Kentucky’s docking in South Korea could be grounds for the North to
use a nuclear weapon against it. North Korea has used similar rhetoric before, but
the statement underscored how much relations are strained now.

The Annapolis, whose main mission is destroying enemy ships and submarines, is
powered by a nuclear reactor but is armed with conventional weapons. The
Annapolis mainly docked at Jeju to load supplies, but Jang Do Young, a
spokesperson of South Korea’s navy, said the U.S. and South Korean militaries were
discussing whether to arrange training involving the vessel.

Meanwhile, North Korea remained publicly silent on an American soldier, Pvt. Travis

King, who crossed the border last Tuesday. U.S. officials have expressed concern
about his well-being and said North Korea has been ignoring their requests to
provide basic information about King, including where he’s being detained and what
his condition is.

Analysts say North Korea wait weeks or even months to provide meaningful
information about King to maximize leverage and add urgency to U.S. efforts to
secure his release. Some say North Korea may try to wrest concessions from
Washington, such as tying his release to the United States cutting back its military
activities with South Korea.

The United States and South Korea have been expanding their combined military
exercises and increasing regional deployments of U.S. strategic assets like bombers,
aircraft carriers and submarines in a show of force against North Korea, which has
test-fired around 100 missiles since the start of 2022.