Hanoi (VNA) 𒐪– General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly’s state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) from August 10 – 13 at the invitation of President Lee Jae Myung and his spouse Kim Hye-kyung has been a success.

The visit offered a chance to convey Vietnam’s commitment to building a prosperous nation and attracting international resources to meet development goals in a new era, helping to enhance political trust and elevate the substantive cooperation between Vietnam and the RoK.

Science and technology emerge as a new pillar of bilateral ties

Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, Vietnam and the RoK have steadily built a close, mutually beneficial partnership in the fields of politics, economy, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. Achievements over the past three decades have laid a solid foundation for deepening the Vietnam - RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in a more substantive and effective way. Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Vu Ho described the current moment as ideal for charting new strategic steps, and entering a phase of growth both in scale and quality. During the four-day visit, General Secretary Lam engaged in a wide range of activities, including talks with senior Korean leaders, and meetings with political figures, economic and cultural organisations, scientists, the Vietnamese community and Korean friends of Vietnam. The two sides reached important consensus on advancing their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, as well as on global and regional issues of mutual concern. Science and technology were identified as a key driver of national development. Reflecting this priority, the Vietnamese Party chief’s first official engagement upon arrival was a meeting with members of the Vietnam Innovation Network and Vietnamese experts in the Northeastern Asian country. This underscored the Party and State’s commitment to overseas Vietnamese intellectuals and the cause of advancing science - technology, innovation, and digital transformation in the home country. He urged the network to spearhead new initiatives, facilitate knowledge and technology transfer, and bring global advancements to Vietnam, while fostering solidarity among members to contribute effectively to national growth.

For the first time, a high-level Vietnam–RoK science and technology dialogue saw Korean delegates offer insights into digital transformation, innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and future strategies. Proposals for collaboration included rare earth recovery and production, and technology support for Vietnamese SMEs, with Korean research institutes, universities, and tech firms expressing keen interest. In a policy address at Yonsei University, the General Secretary placed strong faith in the younger generation, noting early exposure to global achievements in a digital era enables them to carry forward the proud traditions of previous generations. At the Vietnam - RoK Economic Forum, Vietnam called on Korean firms to expand investment, especially in sectors where the RoK excels and Vietnam shows potential, including clean and green energy, heavy industries such as electronics, automobiles, shipbuilding, chemicals, steel, strategic materials, semiconductors, AI, blockchain, and quality services in healthcare, education, and smart, sustainable urban development. In Busan, the RoK’s second largest economic hub, the Vietnamese leader and officials explored deeper port cooperation, particularly between Busan Port and major Vietnamese ports. They also encouraged investment in next-generation ports in Hai Phong, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Gia Lai, An Giang, and Ca Mau, alongside training for port engineers and specialists. In the joint statement, the leaders defined science and technology as a new pillar of the Vietnam - RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with Vietnam positioning itself as a co-creator of value in innovation alongside the RoK. Vietnam pledged to facilitate major Korean investments in infrastructure, high-tech electronics, semiconductors, AI, renewable energy, and smart urban development.

Deepening mutual understanding between Vietnam and RoK

People-to-people exchanges have long served as a vital bridge in the Vietnam - RoK relations, fostering goodwill and deeper understanding between their people and laying the groundwork for a stronger partnership. At a meeting with Korean friends of Vietnam, Professor and translator Ahn Kyong-hwan expressed pride in his lifelong ties with Vietnam, praising the nation’s resilience, independence, and values forged through its history of construction and defence. Lee Shin-jae, Chairman of the RoK – Vietnam Friendship Association, highlighted the group’s contributions, including building school facilities, vocational training centres for the disabled and orphans in disadvantaged communities, aiding disaster recovery, offering scholarships to poor Vietnamese students, and connecting economic and technical cooperation projects. He called for even more vibrant people-to-people exchanges. During the visit, the Party chief and his spouse attended the inauguration of a statue of President Ho Chi Minh at the Vietnamese Embassy in Seoul. The work is intended as both a cultural landmark and a symbol of the enduring and close bilateral friendship between the two nations. Following the official welcome ceremony, Madame Ly joined Madame Kim for a tour of the National Museum of Korea. She expressed her hope for the continued growth of the bilateral ties in ways that meet the aspirations of both nations’ people. Later, she also visited multicultural Vietnamese – Korean families, encouraging their integration and contributions to bilateral friendship. Currently, over 350,000 Vietnamese are living in the RoK, making practical contributions to the evolving relationship. Mass and friendship organisations are stepping up their role as bridges for exchanges between communities, localities, and people of both countries, making people-to-people ties more dynamic, substantive, and commensurate with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework./.