South Korea's President Strengthens Ties with Vietnam in Historic Visit
HANOI - President Lee Jae Myung stressed his intent to develop a high level of cooperation between Korea and Vietnam, focusing on "future-oriented and strategic" sectors including nuclear power, infrastructure and science and technology on Wednesday.
"During this visit, I will meet with Vietnamese leaders to expand cooperation in strategic sectors such as nuclear power, infrastructure and science and technology innovation, and engage in higher-level cooperation on global challenges such as supply chain stability, sustainable growth and climate change response," Lee said as he held a luncheon meeting with the Korean community in Hanoi on Wednesday.
The meeting attended by some 300 people came ahead of his summit with To Lam, Vietnam's president and the Communist Party's general secretary, as Lee began a four-day state visit to Vietnam on Tuesday.
In his speech, Lee recalled that To Lam made the first state visit to Korea by a foreign head of state in August last year, shortly after he took office in June, and noted this time, he is visiting Hanoi as the first state guest after Vietnam's new leadership was launched.
"This alone demonstrates the special relationship between Vietnam and Korea," Lee said.
Lee emphasized the similarities between Korea and Vietnam, such as colonial rule, noting the two countries "both suffered under foreign domination for a long time and eventually overcame it through their own strength, endured the pain of division and the suffering of war between compatriots, and rose again after overcoming those difficulties."
Lee introduced Kim Sang-sik, head coach of Vietnam's national football team, who attended the lunch event and said, "The Vietnamese people really love football, just like we Koreans do."
The president then extended his congratulations to the Vietnamese national football team for recently winning 13 consecutive matches in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, becoming the first Southeast Asian national team to achieve this feat and for surging to the world's Top 100 in FIFA rankings.
Lee also congratulated singer and actress Han Sara, a Vietnamese of Korean origins, for receiving "great love in the Vietnamese music industry."
Lee then attributed the development of bilateral relations to the efforts of the Korean diaspora, noting that the Korean community in Vietnam has grown to approximately 200,000 people, the largest in any Asean country and the fifth largest community in the world.
Korea and Vietnam established diplomatic ties in 1992, and Lee pointed out that "in just one generation, our two countries have become each other's top three trading partners," with nearly 10,000 Korean companies operating in Vietnam.
"From cultural and sports figures to expatriates, small business owners, young entrepreneurs, international students and even the senior compatriots who have laid the foundation over a long period, the sweat and dedication of all of you have created the solid relationship between Vietnam and Korea that exists today," Lee said.
