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As Trump lands in Seoul, 3 US carriers prepare for drill
(CNN)US President Donald Trump's arrival in Seoul Tuesday is being accompanied by a major show of force in the Pacific. In coming days, three US aircraft carriers, accompanied by guided-missile destroyers and submarines, will be conducting a mock battle in the waters in the region, according to the US Navy. It's likely the show of power by the US forces will be seen by North Korea as a direct provocation.
The drill -- involving the USS Nimitz, the USS Ronald Reagan and the USS Theodore Roosevelt -- follows joint exercises by the US, Australian and South Korean navies intended to simulate the interception of shipments of nuclear material meant for North Korea. North Korean government officials told CNN's Will Ripley in Pyongyang Monday the US was increasingly taking action that could "ignite another Korean War."
"Nobody knows when and how the 'war maniac' Trump will ignite the 'wick of war,'" the officials said, referring to the presence of the carriers near the peninsula.
In press briefing in Tokyo Monday, Trump said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would be able to shoot down North Korean missiles "when he completes the purchase of a lot of military equipment from the United States."
