General Secretary To Lam holds summit meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung

President Lee welcomed General Secretary To Lam to South Korea, noting he was the first foreign leader to visit the South Korea since the establishment of the new administration in the Northeast Asian nation. 

Lee affirmed that South Korea regards Viet Nam as a key partner in its foreign policy toward Southeast Asia and is committed to accompanying Viet Nam in its new era of national development.

General Secretary To expressed his appreciation for the warm hospitality that President Lee extended to him, his spouse, and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, reflecting South Korea's high regard for Viet Nam and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Viet Nam and South Korea. 

To expressed his belief that President Lee will lead South Korea to achieve new "Miracles on the Han River" in the near future.

The two leaders reviewed the development of bilateral ties since the two countries set up diplomatic relations more than three decades ago, particularly after the upgrade of the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022. 

Both sides pledged to strengthen political trust and strategic coordination in diplomacy, defense, and security, while expanding collaboration through all channels – including Party-to-Party, State-to-State, government, parliamentary, and people-to-people exchanges. 

They also agreed to effectively implement existing cooperation agreements, especially the action plan for the Viet Nam – South Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The pair agreed that science and technology will serve as the new pillar of bilateral cooperation, thus helping to position Viet Nam as a value-creating partner in innovation and technological development. 

General Secretary To affirmed Viet Nam's readiness to create favorable conditions for major Korean corporations to expand investment, particularly in sectors aligned with Viet Nam's priorities such as infrastructure, high-tech electronics, semiconductor, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and smart city development.

President Lee expressed hope that Viet Nam would continue assisting Korean enterprises in expanding operation, improving investment efficiency, and participating in key projects in the Southeast Asian country. 

Lee reaffirmed South Korea sees Viet Nam as an important partner in development cooperation, pledging to increase official development assistance (ODA) in priority areas such as infrastructure, R&D, and climate change adaptation, and to expand labor quotas and diversify job opportunities for Vietnamese workers in South Korea.

The two sides also committed to boosting cultural, educational, and people-to-people exchanges as a strategic foundation for long-term cooperation. 

General Secretary To suggested that South Korea share experience in developing cultural and entertainment industries and work with Viet Nam to establish a Viet Nam Cultural Center in South Korea.

Regarding multilateral cooperation, both leaders underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea, ensuring legitimate rights under international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 

They also agreed that improving inter-Korean relations and achieving lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula are crucial to peace and prosperity in the region and the wider world.

Following the summit meeting, the leaders witnessed the exchange of 10 cooperation documents covering defense, security, economy, trade, labor, and culture./.