The arrival comes as North Korea plans to launch a rocket carrying a space satellite between Nov. 22 and Dec. 1 in the direction of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, according to Japan's Coast Guard,

It would mark a third attempt by the nuclear-armed North this year to put a spy satellite into orbit.

In a statement, South Korean Rear Admiral Kim Ji-hoon said the arrival of the Carl Vinson showed a "strong combined defence posture and a determined willingness to respond to North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats" by the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Ed Davies)