LIMA: The leaders of South Korea, the United States, and Japan announced the establishment of a secretariat for trilateral cooperation and condemned North Korea and Russia's decision to expand Moscow's war in Ukraine during a meeting on the margins of a multilateral summit in Peru. According to Yonhap News Agency, President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba issued a joint statement following their trilateral meeting in Lima, held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the trilateral partnership, which they consider critical for countering regional security threats and fostering stability in the Indo-Pacific. The leaders announced the establishment of the Trilateral Secretariat, which will be responsible for coordinating and implementing shared commitments. The secretariat aims to align the objectives and actions of the three nations to make the Indo-Pacific a thriving, connected, re silient, stable, and secure region. The leaders emphasized that their partnership is built to last. The meeting also addressed the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia's western front-line Kursk region, where they have begun engaging in combat against Ukrainian forces. The three leaders condemned North Korea's support for Russia's war in Ukraine, highlighting the deepening military cooperation between the two, including munitions and ballistic missile transfers, as particularly concerning given Russia's role as a Permanent Member of the U.N. Security Council. The leaders reiterated their commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. President Yoon stressed the importance of continued trilateral cooperation for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, especially in light of North Korea's recent actions. The meeting follows the historic Camp David Summit in August 2023, where Biden, Yoon, and former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged to strengthen cooperation. Biden pr aised the progress made since that summit, highlighting achievements in promoting development in Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands, securing future technologies, and countering North Korea's cooperation with Russia. Prime Minister Ishiba emphasized the importance of trilateral collaboration in addressing regional challenges, particularly threats from North Korea. He welcomed the creation of the trilateral secretariat as a means to strengthen the partnership and address shared challenges. The United States has encouraged South Korea and Japan to overcome historical grievances and deepen bilateral relations amid growing military threats from North Korea and other shared challenges. President Yoon expressed hope that the trilateral framework would continue to receive bipartisan support in the U.S. to address regional security challenges.