Vietnam, RoK Leaders Hold Talks to Deepen Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Hanoi, The Gulf Observer: Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng held talks with Republic of Korea (RoK) President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday in Hànội, during the latter’s State visit to Việtnam from April 21–24, reaffirming both nations’ commitment to advancing their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Welcoming President Lee and his high-level delegation, PM Hưng underscored that the visit reflected the Korean leadership’s strong regard for Việtnam and bilateral relations. He expressed confidence that the visit would inject fresh momentum into ties, making them more substantive, effective and wide-ranging.

The Vietnamese leader commended the outcomes of earlier talks between Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm and President Lee, while congratulating the Korean government and people on their recent achievements. He voiced optimism that Korea would realise its vision of becoming a nation where citizens prosper collectively.

President Lee expressed appreciation for the warm reception and congratulated PM Hưng on his appointment, voicing confidence in Việtnam’s continued progress under his leadership. He praised Việtnam’s socio-economic achievements and rising international stature, noting the potential for both countries to shape a new strategic vision for cooperation and shared sustainable prosperity.

Both sides welcomed the steady progress in bilateral relations over nearly 35 years since diplomatic ties were established, highlighting that the two countries are among each other’s top three trading partners. The RoK remains the largest foreign investor in Việtnam, with more than 10,000 companies contributing significantly to economic growth and industrial development.

Cooperation across multiple sectors—including politics, security, defence, science and technology, labour, education and people-to-people exchanges—has continued to expand.

To further strengthen ties, PM Hưng proposed enhancing political trust through expanded cooperation in defence, security and diplomacy, while improving the effectiveness of existing bilateral mechanisms. He emphasised the importance of deepening economic, trade and investment relations with a focus on innovation and quality, and called for achieving a balanced bilateral trade target of US$150 billion by 2030.

The Prime Minister also urged the RoK to support higher localisation rates and greater participation of Vietnamese firms in Korean supply chains, facilitate Vietnamese investment in Korea, and share expertise in financial innovation and banking supervision. He further highlighted the need for cooperation in science, technology, digital transformation, sustainable energy security, and human resource development.

President Lee welcomed these proposals, affirming Korea’s readiness to work closely with Việt Nam to meet the $150 billion trade goal and to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses to integrate more deeply into global supply chains.

The Vietnamese leader also called for continued support for the Vietnamese community in Korea, simplification of visa procedures, and eventual visa exemptions. He reaffirmed Việt Nam’s commitment to providing favourable conditions for South Korean citizens living and working in the country.

President Lee, in turn, proposed expanding long-term strategic cooperation beyond trade and investment to include energy, science and technology, labour and supply chains. He emphasised the importance of high-level exchanges and expressed hope that Việt Nam would continue addressing challenges faced by Korean businesses, particularly in participating in major infrastructure projects such as nuclear power, transport and high-speed rail.

The Korean President also indicated that Seoul would consider increasing quotas for Vietnamese workers, expanding eligible sectors, and strengthening training cooperation to enhance workforce quality while ensuring workers’ rights.

The talks concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to advancing bilateral relations towards sustainable and mutually beneficial development.