Rio de Janeiro, 16 November 2024 (dpa/MIA) - US President Joe Biden on Friday praised the growing cooperation between the United States, South Korea, and Japan in response to concerns over North Korea's increasing military ties with Russia.

At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru, Biden emphasized the critical role of the trilateral alliance in countering what he described as North Korea's "dangerous and destabilizing cooperation with Russia."

Biden made the remarks during a meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the summit's sidelines in the Peruvian capital of Lima.

Reports indicate that thousands of North Korean soldiers are currently fighting alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region near the Ukrainian border. This follows a Ukrainian offensive earlier this year that secured parts of the region, which Russia is now attempting to regain.

South Korea's intelligence agency believes that North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to Russia.

"As we can see from the recent deployment of DPRK troops to Russia, the challenging security environment within and outside the region once again reminds us the importance of our trilateral cooperation," Yoon said, using the acronym for North Korea's official name.

Ishiba called the alliance "essential" for maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, a region stretching from the Indian Ocean to the northern Pacific and covering most of Asia and the western US coast.

"During the past 15 months, we have constructed a trilateral partnership that is built to last," the White House said in a statement.

Photo: EPA