Seoul (VNA) - Special Advisor to the Speaker of the NationalAssembly of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Hahn Choong-hee has voiced his beliefthat the RoK-Vietnam relations will grow further in all aspects.

Granting an interview to Vietnam News Agency correspondentsin Seoul on the threshold of an official visit to the RoK by National AssemblyChairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan from December 4-7, Hahn Choong-hee said that sincethe bilateral diplomatic ties were set up in 1992, the two countries havewitnessed rapid development in their relations, from trade, investment andeconomics to culture and people-to-people exchanges.

For the RoK, the diplomatic relationship with Vietnam is oneof the most important relations in the region at the strategic level, heaffirmed, recalling the Vietnam visit by RoK President Moon Jae-in last Marchas another important milestone in the bilateral ties.

Agreeing with Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Nguyen Vu Tu’sremark on the “family” relationship between Vietnam and the RoK in his recentmeeting with the RoK’s NA Speaker Moon Hee-sang, the advisor noted that tens ofthousands of Vietnamese people are working and living in the RoK, while manyKoreans, including politicians and entrepreneurs, also want to visit Vietnam toseek cooperation and business opportunities.

Hahn Choong-hee suggested both sides continue takingadvantage of similarities in their traditions and cultures to develop the strategiccooperation and high-level dialogue, as well as collaborating with each otherto invest in a third partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN).

He proposed intensifying cultural cooperation to bring thetwo countries’ young generations closer and enhance mutual understanding so asto further foster the bilateral relations.

He also expressed his hope that more and more universitiesin Vietnam will open Korean-language classes and vice versa.

Regarding the role of the two legislative bodies instrengthening the bilateral ties, the advisor took note of the exchange of manyvisits recently, notably the Vietnam visit by the RoK top legislator last yearand the upcoming visit by the Vietnamese NA Chairwoman.

Many RoK parliamentarians hope to meet and work withVietnamese NA deputies, politicians, entrepreneurs, and researchers, he stated,suggesting both sides organise visits more regularly to offer chances for thetwo legislatures to tighten cooperation in issues of shared concern such assustainable development, climate change response, institution building, and theimplementation of millennium development goals.-VNA