US nuclear sub heads to South Korea: report

A nuclear-powered U.S. Navy submarine is en route to South Korea, according to a new report.

The USS Michigan is expected to dock in the port city of Busan on Tuesday, CNN said.

CNN confirmed the Michigan’s trip with a U.S. defense official who described the movement as a show of force amid rising tensions between America and North Korea.

{mosads}The Michigan is set to arrive in Busan on the same day as North Korea will celebrate the 85^th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army, CNN said.

CNN said the Michigan’s visit was first reported by South Korean newspaper Donga Ilbo.

The Michigan is an Ohio-class nuclear-powered submarine, according to the Navy, armed with tactical missiles and superior communications capabilities.

Port calls like this, CNN said, typically involve getting supplies, receiving repairs or cargo transshipments.

But the Michigan’s presence is meant to send a strong signal to North Korea, CNN added, ahead of the USS Carl Vinson strike group’s expected arrival in the Korean Peninsula next week.

North Korea said Sunday that its military could sink the Vinson “with a single strike.”

The Vinson and Japanese navy ships are currently conducting exercises in the Philippine Sea amid rising tensions in the Asia-Pacific.

Last week, the Trump administration caused confusion after declaring that the aircraft carrier was heading toward the Sea of Japan, only to have photos disprove that by showing the strike force in the Sunda Strait, thousands of miles from North Korea.

North Korea attempted and failed to conduct a ballistic missile test earlier this month, raising concerns about the reclusive country’s nuclear weapons program.

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, earlier Monday warned North Korea against provoking America.

“What we have said from the beginning, and what I’ll continue to say, is the United States is not looking for a fight so don’t give us a reason to have one,” she said on NBC’s “Today.”