A US aircraft carrier and its strike group — several battleships accompanying it and assisting its operation — have reached South Korea's port of Busan on Sunday.

The South Korean military said USS Carl Vinson was in Busan as a show of Washington's "ironclad" commitment to its alliance with Seoul, echoing the statement posted by the carrier group on social media.

The nuclear-powered vessel last visited Busan in November 2023. Another US aircraft carrier, USS Theodore Roosevelt, was deployed to the harbor in June 2024 for joint military exercises.

The latest visit comes just days after North Korea's dictator Kim Jong Un supervised a test of strategic cruise missiles. Kim has also ordered the North's military to be full ready to use its nuclear arsenal, according to state-controlled media.

Trump wants more money for troops in South Korea

Shows of US military force around South Korea tend to provoke outrage in the North, with Pyongyang often staging rocket tests in response.

But the aircraft deployment is also an important signal of US reassurance to South Korea. In recent months, President Donald Trump has made statements questioning their current military alliance, which has the US deploying around 28,500 soldiers stationed in the Asian country, and Seoul depending on the US "nuclear umbrella" for deterrence.

In October last year, before the election, Trump called for ramping up South Korea's payments to the US for the American troops. He described South Korea as a "money machine" and said they would be paying "$10 billion a year" to Washington for protection. Seoul is currently paying around $1 billion (€960 million).

Seoul hoping to 'stay out of the spotlight'

Since his inauguration in January, Trump has stated he would reach out to Kim Jong Un, calling him a "smart guy" and saying they "got along." Also, Trump's ongoing row with Ukraine has raised questions about the US's commitment to its allies in Asia against China.

Talking to DW's Julian Ryall, Seoul-based international relations professor Dan Pinkston said South Korea was so far trying to "stay out of the spotlight."

"They seem to be hoping that Trump is too focused on his trade war with Canada, Mexico and China," he said last month. "South Korea is hoping to be overlooked for as long as possible, although they know their turn will come."

Edited by: Louis Oelofse