The top diplomats from South Korea and the United States will hold talks on Friday in Peru, on the sidelines of the joint meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) ministers for trade and foreign affairs.

According to Seoul’s foreign ministry on Thursday, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul will sit down for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken early on Friday, Seoul time. 

The top diplomats are expected to discuss responses to North Korean troops’ participation in combat against Ukraine in Russia’s Kursk region. 

On Wednesday, Blinken issued a stern message against the deployment of North Korean troops, saying it necessitates a “firm response.”

Cho and Blinken are also expected to assess cooperation between Seoul and Washington and discuss ways to strengthen the bilateral alliance during the transition to a new administration in the U.S. with Trump’s reelection.