The US Defense Department says 2 aircraft carriers deployed in the Sea of Japan have now left, but that it will continue to monitor moves by North Korea.
A Pentagon official told NHK on Monday that the USS Carl Vinson and USS Ronald Reagan withdrew after completing a 3-day drill last week.
The rare deployment of 2 carriers in waters close to the Korean Peninsula came amid tensions over North Korea's nuclear program and repeated missile launches.
The official said the Carl Vinson is now returning to its home port in San Diego, California.
The Navy has dispatched the USS Nimitz to the Western Pacific to continue monitoring developments on the Korean Peninsula and in the South China Sea.
