[News Today] YOON, ISHIBA DISCUSS NK TROOPS

[LEAD]
President Yoon Suk Yeol, in Peru for the APEC Summit, met with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru for their second summit. They agreed that the military collaboration between Russia and North Korea is a severe threat to both nations' security. The two countries decided to enhance their bilateral cooperation further.

[REPORT]
The leaders of South Korea and Japan held a bilateral meeting, following a trilateral summit with the U.S. president a day earlier.

The key agenda for the 50-minute session was growing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.

They agreed that North Korea's troop deployments to Russia will pose a grave threat both to Seoul and Tokyo.

The two leaders expressed concerns that the North can make a crucial turning point in its nuclear and missile development through technology transfer from Russia.

Yoon Suk Yeol/ President
Now, close cooperation between S. Korea, Japan is more important than ever so it‘s especially meaningful to hold this meeting with Prime Minister.

Ishiba Shigeru /Japanese Prime Minister
Given N. Korea, other serious security threats, it’s an important task for Japan, S. Korea to strengthen cooperation continuously.

They also pledged to further consolidate the friendly relations of their countries, which are often dubbed shuttle diplomacy.

Yoon then held bilateral summits with his Vietnamese and Peruvian counterparts to discuss how to boost cooperation and ensure supply chain stability.

The president also presented visions for the AEPC Summit 2025, which South Korea will host in Gyeongju.

Yoon Suk Yeol/ President
I‘ll present a future-oriented blueprint to create an Asia-Pacific region that will be more closely connected, more innovative, more prosperous.

After wrapping up his schedule for the APEC Summit, Yoon moved to Brazil to attend the 2024 G20 Summit.