State leader concludes visit to South Korea

Vietnam and South Korea Strengthen Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm's state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) from August 10 to 13, 2025, marked a significant milestone in the relationship between the two countries. The visit aimed to strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, enhance political trust, and expand cooperation across multiple sectors.

The visit began with a warm welcome by President Lee Jae Myung and his spouse. The delegation, led by General Secretary Tô Lâm, was seen off at Gimhae Airport by the Vietnamese Consul General in Busan, Đoàn Phương Lan, and Busan Mayor Park Heong Jun.

During his stay, General Secretary Tô Lâm held talks with President Lee, met the press, and held meetings with the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the National Assembly of the RoK. The discussions focused on elevating economic, trade, investment, science, technology, and development cooperation to new levels. The two countries agreed to deepen and make their comprehensive strategic partnership more substantive, effective, and usher in a new phase.

The visit also highlighted the strong bilateral relations established since 1992 and built on the upgraded Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022. The leaders of both countries concurred that the partnership has become a unique, highly effective, and substantive one. They affirmed that the two nations remain foremost important partners across all fields.

In addition to political discussions, the visit also included cultural events. General Secretary Tô Lâm and his entourage visited Busan, the RoK's second-largest economic centre. They also attended the Vietnam-RoK economic forum, where multiple cooperation agreements were signed.

The Joint Statement issued by the leaders of both countries highlights key areas for enhanced cooperation. These include sustainable development, climate change response, agriculture, infrastructure, with a shared goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Collaboration in labour, health care, and education will also be fostered.

Forestry and sustainable water resource management will see enhanced cooperation. The two countries agreed to promote exchanges and events to deepen cultural, sports, tourism, media, and people-to-people ties.

The visit concluded with General Secretary Tô Lâm receiving an honorary doctorate degree from Professor Yoon Dong Sup, President of Yonsei University. He also delivered a keynote policy speech at Yonsei University.

General Secretary Tô Lâm's visit reflects Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification, as well as proactive and active international integration. Both sides concurred that the visit was a great success, marking a significant milestone in the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

The talks between General Secretary Tô Lâm and President Lee delved into elevating cooperation across technology, science, and business sectors.
The leaders agreed to strengthen their collaboration in finance, trade, and investment.
The comprehensive strategic partnership also aims to address climate change, focusing on energy, agriculture, and infrastructure.
In education, the two countries will foster collaboration to promote mutual growth and development.
In the realm of politics and policy-and-legislation, both nations will work closely to establish common grounds on diplomacy and labor standards.
The cultural forum during the visit showcased how cooperation in art, sports, and media can enrich both countries' cultures.
Healthcare will also witness increased cooperation to ensure better standards of living for citizens of both nations.
The visit culminated in the General Secretary receiving an honorary degree from Yonsei University, symbolizing the intellectual partnership between the two nations.
The visit's success underscores Vietnam's strategic vision of proactive international engagement and diversity in its foreign policy, setting a positive tone for future collaborations in the general news sector.