By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young

President Yoon Suk-yeol visited the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier docked at the Busan Naval Operations Base on June 25. This is the third time a sitting president has boarded a U.S. aircraft carrier, following former Presidents Park Chung-hee in 1974 and Kim Young-sam in 1994.
 

The Roosevelt aircraft carrier's visit to South Korea is a step toward implementing the Washington Declaration, adopted by the leaders of the United States and South Korea in April last year, and symbolizes the United States' ironclad defense commitment to South Korea, including a strong deterrent to expansion.

As the President boarded the Roosevelt, a bell rang to signal his arrival, and he was greeted with loud cheers by more than 300 U.S. and South Korean military personnel, each dressed in a different color depending on their mission.

The President then rode the aircraft's travel elevator to the flight deck along with other military leaders. On the flight deck, the president was given a detailed tour of the carrier's aircraft, including the F/A-18, the carrier's flagship fighter jet, and the equipment needed for takeoff and landing by Christopher Alexander, commander of the 9th Carrier Strike Group. The F/A-18 is also the fighter jet featured in the movie Top Gun Maverick.

The President then posed for a photo in front of "Island," the carrier's control tower, with Korean military commanders, the commander of the U.S. 8th Fleet, the commander of the 9th Carrier Strike Group, the carrier commander, and the carrier flight director.

Next, the president traveled to the flight deck control room to hear from carrier air wing officials about the ship's operations and talk with them.

Following his tour of the Roosevelt, the President traveled to the hangar where he spoke to more than 300 U.S. and South Korean service members.

"My visit to the US Roosevelt is an implementation of the 'Washington Declaration' that President Biden and I adopted in April of last year," he said, explaining that it "symbolizes the United States' ironclad defense commitment to the Republic of Korea, including a strong extended deterrent."

"North Korea is threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the region by advancing its nuclear and missile capabilities and threatening to use nuclear weapons first," the president said, adding, "The U.S.-ROK alliance is stronger than ever, and our greatest alliance in the world can defeat and prevail against any adversary."

"Tomorrow, the Roosevelt departs to participate in Freedom Edge, the first-ever trilateral multi-domain military exercise between the United States, Japan, South Korea," the President said. "Our shared liberal democratic values, along with our alliance, will serve as another powerful deterrent." The president also wished the U.S. and South Korean soldiers participating in Freedom Edge "good health and successful completion of their training."