2010-07-25 12:50

US sailors gather on a flight deck of the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington upon its departure for a joint naval and air exercise with South Korea, at a South Korean naval port in Busan, about 420 km (262 miles) southeast of Seoul, July 25, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

The US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington leaves for a joint naval and air exercise with South Korea at a South Korean naval port in Busan, about 420 km (262 miles) southeast of Seoul, July 25, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

SEOUL - South Korea and the United States on Sunday began their large-scale joint navy drills off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula as scheduled, Seoul's Ministry of National Defense said.

Several warships, including the USS George Washington, a nuclear-powered 97,000-ton carrier, departed from the Busan Port, located in the Southeast of South Korea, for waters off the east coast at around 07:00 am local time, marking the formal beginning of the four-day joint navy drills, a ministry official said.

Meanwhile, some South Korean warships will set out from the Jinhae Port, sit in the south of the country, according to Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Apart from the USS George Washington, the drills, code-named "Invincible Spirit", will reportedly be participated by some 20 warships and more than 200 aircrafts. Some 8,000 servicemembers and personnel from the two nations' army will also take part in the drills.