General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam hosted a reception in Hanoi on June 25 for outgoing Korean Ambassador to Vietnam Choi Young-sam.
General Secretary and President Lam congratulated Choi on successfully completing his term in Vietnam and highly appreciated the Ambassador's important contributions to the Vietnam-Republic of Korea (RoK) Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which is becoming increasingly profound, effective, and beneficial to the people of both countries.
The top leader reviewed some important achievements of the bilateral relationship during the Ambassador's term in Vietnam, stating that the Vietnam-RoK relationship is currently in its best stage of development. The RoK has continued to maintain its first position in investment in Vietnam and second place in development cooperation and tourism, he noted.
Bilateral defence and security cooperation has continued to deepen while people-to-people exchanges are constantly expanding, he said, emphasising the spectacular development of the bilateral relations, which reflected close ties and a shared vision for future development.
The General Secretary and President said the two countries have become reliable partners, cooperating closely at the strategic level and being close friends who understand each other.
General Secretary and President Lam affirmed Vietnam wants to continue to firmly consolidate political relations and promote substantive development of defence and security cooperation to make it commensurate with the framework of the Vietnam-RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
He emphasised that both sides need to continue promoting economic cooperation towards achieving the goal of 150 billion USD in two-way trade by 2030; creating new breakthroughs in areas where both sides have great potential such as digital transformation, renewable energy, and semiconductors; and effectively implementing the new pillar of science and technology cooperation to create new impetus for development and achieve the development goals of each country in the coming period.
The General Secretary and President suggested that both sides should strengthen cooperation in culture, tourism, labour, and local cooperation, which not only contributes to enhancing understanding and fostering friendship between the people of the two countries, but also serves as an important resource for the two countries' mutual development.
The top leader expressed his confidence that, regardless of his position, the Ambassador will utilise his valuable personal experience to further promote the development of bilateral relations in a more substantive, effective, and comprehensive manner in the future. On this occasion, General Secretary and President Lam extended his warm greetings and best wishes to President Lee Jae Myung and his spouse.
For his part, Choi sincerely thanked leaders of the Party, State, and relevant ministries and agencies of Vietnam for their active attention and support in helping him successfully complete his term of service in the country.
The Ambassador expressed his joy and honor at witnessing Vietnam's significant development achievements during his term of office and actively contributing to promoting the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
He noted that the RoK continues to be the largest foreign investor with a cumulative total of 101 billion USD as of May 2026; ranks second in tourism cooperation with over 5 million visitors in 2025; ranks third in bilateral trade with 89 billion USD in 2025; and aims to reach 100 billion USD in the near future.
Agreeing with the General Secretary and President's assessment of the bilateral relationship, Choi affirmed that the RoK always values its cooperative relationship with Vietnam and wishes to further strengthen bilateral relations, especially in new areas where the RoK has strengths and Vietnam has needs, such as science and technology, digital transformation, and innovation.
The Ambassador affirmed that the RoK will always be a reliable partner and a companion in implementing Vietnam's development goals in the future.
To further strengthen the relationship between the two nations, Choi expressed his hope that relevant ministries and agencies of both sides will continue to effectively promote the implementation of cooperation agreements between high-level leaders of the two countries; step up the exchange of high-level and other delegations; further deepen the economic cooperation pillar; effectively implement the new pillar of science and technology cooperation; promote people-to-people exchanges and create favourable conditions for expatriates and businesses of both countries.
The diplomat affirmed that, with his experience and special affection for Vietnam, he will continue to make every effort to cultivate the relationship between the two countries, making practical contributions to maintaining a peaceful, stable, cooperative, and developing environment in the region and the world./.
