A South Korean Navy cruise training group, including 151 naval cadets, arrived at a port in Maryland on Monday, for a visit to mark the 70th anniversary of the alliance between South Korea and the United States.

ROKS Hansando (ATH-81), a training ship, and ROKS Hwacheon (AOE-59), a combat support ship, berthed at the Port of Baltimore -- one of 14 destinations during the Navy's annual 141-day cruise program that set sail on Aug. 28.

The arrival came after South Korea and the United States marked the 70th anniversary of the signing of their mutual defense treaty on Oct. 1.

"We feel that it is very meaningful that we were able to come to the United States ... in an historical year when we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the signing of the armistice agreement and of the South Korea-US alliance," Rear Adm. Cho Choong-ho who commands the group said.

The flag officer called the visit a "precious" opportunity to think about the "noble value" of the military duty to safeguard freedom and peace.

The sailors were greeted by a number of local officials, including Maryland's Secretary of State Susan Lee.

On Wednesday, some of the ship's company plan, mostly naval cadets, to visit the US Naval Academy in Annapolis where they will meet with US cadets. The following day, they will pay their respects at a Korean War memorial in Washington.

Their next destination is Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, the main base of the Royal Canadian Navy. (Yonhap)