Lima: President Yoon Suk Yeol concluded his visits to Peru and Brazil on Tuesday, emphasizing the need for international solidarity against the strengthening military ties between North Korea and Russia. During his six-day trip, Yoon participated in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Lima and the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Rio de Janeiro, marking his first visit to South America since assuming office in May 2022. According to Yonhap News Agency, President Yoon utilized these significant diplomatic platforms to issue a stern warning against North Korea's potential deployment of troops to Russia, a move that could exacerbate the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which has persisted for nearly three years. Yoon's visit followed his warning that Seoul might reconsider its policy of not supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine, contingent on the extent of military activities by Pyongyang and Moscow. At the G20 sessions on Monday, Yoon criticized the growing military partnership between Moscow and Pyo ngyang. He was joined by leaders from the United States, Japan, Australia, and the European Union in condemning the recent developments. In Lima, Yoon conducted a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings with leaders from the U.S. and other partner nations to garner their support and enhance security against threats posed by North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile programs. On Friday, Yoon met with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to reaffirm the importance of their trilateral partnership for regional security. They announced the creation of a joint secretariat to oversee collaboration among the countries. This move comes as Washington's major Asian allies prepare for uncertainties surrounding former U.S. President Donald Trump's return to the White House in January, with his "America First" policy emphasizing a transactional approach to security and trade. Yoon also held a farewell summit with Biden to review their partnership over the past 2 1/2 years, and engag ed in discussions with Ishiba to further enhance bilateral ties, agreeing to continue "shuttle diplomacy." Another significant diplomatic engagement was Yoon's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has shown signs of discomfort over the closer alignment between Moscow and Pyongyang, Beijing's two allies. During their first in-person meeting in two years, Yoon urged Xi to play a "constructive" role in curbing North Korea's provocations and its deepening military ties with Russia. Xi emphasized that China does not wish for escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula and expressed hope for improved relations between the two neighboring countries. On the sidelines of the APEC summit, Yoon held a series of bilateral talks with leaders from Canada, Vietnam, Brunei, and Peru to explore ways to deepen economic and security ties in the Indo-Pacific region. On Sunday, Yoon traveled to Rio de Janeiro for the G20 summit, marking his third consecutive participation in the gathering of the world's major economie s. At the G20, South Korea joined the establishment of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty and pledged $10 million in humanitarian aid to alleviate the food crisis in Africa. In line with South Korea's vision to play a greater role on the global stage, Yoon also reaffirmed Seoul's commitment to carbon-free energy initiatives and financial support for countries vulnerable to climate change. During this year's summits held after Trump's election win, Yoon carefully balanced relations between the U.S., South Korea's traditional ally, and China, its largest trading partner. In an interview with the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, Yoon expressed hope for close collaboration with both the U.S. and China, stating that South Korea's approach to relations with major powers is not about "choosing one country or the other." The noticeable shift in his tone raised questions about whether Yoon is recalibrating his U.S.-centric diplomatic strategy to a more balanced approach under the incoming Trump adm inistration, which is anticipated to adopt a more hawkish stance on Beijing and pressure allies to contribute more to their defense. Yoon's office explained that Seoul remains focused on pursuing national interests in both security and economy, emphasizing the importance of ongoing high-level communication to further improve ties with Beijing. During their summit, Yoon and Xi exchanged invitations to visit each other's countries to continue their discussions.