New pillars and highlights of Viet Nam–RoK cooperation

This success was no mere luck but the result of determined willpower, perseverance, and a well-crafted strategy.

Viet Nam, on its own development path, has always aspired to learn from the successful experiences of the RoK to realise its own far-reaching ambitions.

The state visit to the RoK by Party General Secretary To Lam, his spouse, and a high-level Vietnamese delegation carries special significance. This was Party General Secretary To Lam’s first visit to the RoK in his capacity as chief of the Communist Party of Viet Nam’s Central Committee. He is also the first state guest after the new Korean president assumed office.

The RoK warmly and respectfully welcomed the Vietnamese delegation as a longstanding and increasingly close friend. Describing their close relationship, RoK Prime Minister Kim Min Seok humorously remarked: “Koreans find it easier to meet each other in Viet Nam than in the RoK.”

Currently, over 200,000 Korean reside in Viet Nam. Every year, Viet Nam welcomes millions of Korean travellers. In 2024 alone, 4.6 million Koreans visited Viet Nam. They increasingly admire Viet Nam’s land, culture, cuisine, and people.

Meanwhile, more than 350,000 Vietnamese live, study, and work in RoK. The two countries have seen the emergence of multicultural Viet Nam-Korea families, including approximately 40,000 Vietnamese brides married to Korean husbands.

This vibrant exchange and integration reflects the fruit of the relationship established between the two nations in 1992. In the first decade of Viet Nam’s Doi Moi (Renewal) when the country opened its doors to economic exchange, large multi-sector Korean enterprises such as Samsung, Daewoo, Hyundai, and LG promptly invested and operated in Viet Nam. Today, about 10,000 Korean companies are active in Viet Nam, making positive contributions to the country’s socio-economic development.

The bilateral relationship has developed rapidly, with Viet Nam and the RoK establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership and becoming major trade partners.

The RoK is Viet Nam’s largest foreign investor. The two countries have become inseparable economic partners in key sectors such as textiles, electronics, chemicals, and shipbuilding. Alongside this process, people-to-people exchanges have become proactive and increasingly vibrant, strengthening the ties between the two nations and peoples.

During their high-level meetings, leaders of both sides expressed their pride in the close and increasingly trusting relationship and deep mutual understanding, which provides a solid foundation for continuing their joint efforts towards a prosperous future.

Delivering a policy speech at Yonsei University, Party General Secretary To Lam stressed that for a long time, the RoK has been an inspiration regarding history, culture, especially socio-economic development, and above all the will and determination of the Korean people. He praised the RoK, stating: “Your success is the result of effective national governance, profound cultural foundations, wisdom, and a highly qualified workforce.”

The Vietnamese Party chief shared that after 40 years of Doi Moi, Viet Nam has gained many important achievements. Facing epochal opportunities and challenges, Viet Nam is promoting to usher the country into an era of wealth, prosperity, and growth.

With confidence in the bright prospects of the nation, a rich heritage passed down by forebears, and with inspiration from the remarkable development of countries like the RoK, Viet Nam is strongly determined to create new achievements.

Leaders from both sides reached agreements on many matters to further deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership and intensification cooperation across all fields while ensuring the interests of the peoples of both nations.

During his visit, Party General Secretary To Lam attended the Viet Nam–RoK Economic Forum, the Viet Nam–RoK Science and Technology Dialogue, and met with representatives of major Korean business groups.

At these events, enterprises and groups share their visions, investment and business plans, and new cooperation models suited to the development needs of both nations in this new stage. They also proposed mechanisms and policies, affirming their long-term commitment to the Viet Nam market.

While appreciating the businesses' opinions, Party General Secretary To Lam affirmed that Viet Nam is becoming a new production hub within the global supply chains of Korean companies. Through cooperation and investment activities, Korean firms support technology transfer and the training of a high-quality workforce, thereby contributing to economic restructuring and enabling Viet Nam to participate more deeply in global value chains.

The Party leader emphasised that the top priority areas for cooperation between the two countries are currently semiconductors, advanced materials, and biotechnology.

Viet Nam hopes the RoK will continue supporting high-quality human resource training in artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, biotechnology, and shipbuilding technologies; and welcomes major high-tech Korean corporations to invest in innovation centres, provide funding, and support research programs for Vietnamese enterprises.

Currently, projects such as the Viet Nam–RoK Institute of Science and Technology (VKIST), the National Innovation Centre, the Can Tho Technology Incubator, and research and development centres run by RoK corporations in Viet Nam have special significance for the country’s new development phase.

In addition to key sectors, cultural cooperation is also expected to be a highlight in bilateral relations.

During the visit, the ministries of culture, sports and tourism of both countries held a dialogue on cooperation in this field.

RoK Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi Young stated that Viet Nam–RoK relations are at an increasingly close stage, a favourable time to elevate cultural cooperation to a new level.

He highly appreciated Viet Nam's view of culture and arts as a key driver for economic growth, especially amid Viet Nam's implementation of digital economy strategies, social digital transformation, and development of content industries centred on digital technologies.

The visit of Party General Secretary To Lam, his spouse, and the high-level Vietnamese delegation concluded successfully. Within the visit framework, the two sides issued a joint statement on deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership. Many cooperation agreements were signed between organisations, enterprises, and localities from both countries, laying an important foundation for expanding future collaboration.