General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam held talks with visiting President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Lee Jae Myung in Hanoi on April 22, following a State-level welcome ceremony held for the guest.
The Vietnamese leader emphasised that the state visit stands as a vivid testament to the robust, effective Vietnam–RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the high level of political trust between the two nations. Expressing delight at the remarkable achievements of the Korean Government and people in recent years, he conveyed his hope that the RoK would continue to accomplish further “miracles on the Han River,” contributing to regional and global peace and prosperity.
President Lee expressed confidence that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, headed by General Secretary Lam, the country will continue to record significant achievements in fulfilling its socio-economic development goals. He affirmed that bilateral ties are special and close, akin to a fraternal relationship, and that the RoK will remain a reliable partner accompanying Vietnam in its ambition to become an upper middle-income developing country by 2030 and a high-income developed nation by 2045.
Building on the substantial outcomes of past cooperation, he pledged to work closely with his host and other high-ranking Vietnamese leaders to further advance the comprehensive
Both leaders agreed to enhance political trust and elevate strategic cooperation to new heights; effectively implement existing mechanisms and agreements; and expand substantive collaboration in key areas including diplomacy, defence, and security. They also underscored the importance of coordinating efforts to address non-traditional security challenges and transnational crime.
The two sides highlighted the need to realise a strategic vision for economic connectivity in the evolving global context, including joint efforts to achieve bilateral trade turnover of 150 billion USD by 2030. They committed to facilitating trade, opening markets for each other’s goods, and supporting Vietnamese enterprises in integrating into Korean production and supply chains and in the development of an independent and self-reliant economy. General Secretary and President Lam highly appreciated the investment and contributions of Korean enterprises to Vietnam’s socio-economic development, and welcomed their continued expansion, particularly in priority sectors such as infrastructure development, smart cities, semiconductors, large-scale AI data centres, smart ports, and next-generation seaport construction.
President Lee, in turn, expressed his gratitude and hoped that the Vietnamese Government would continue to support and address difficulties faced by Korean-invested projects in Vietnam. He also affirmed that the Korean side would closely coordinate with Vietnam in effectively utilising funding from the RoK’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund and the Economic Development Promotion Facility, with a focus on strategic infrastructure development in Vietnam. Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in science and technology, innovation and digital transformation as key drivers for advancing bilateral cooperation and achieving each country’s development goals.
General Secretary and President Lam called for enhanced collaboration in research and technology transfer between the two countries and suggested that the RoK continue supporting Vietnam in implementing the Vietnam–Korea Institute of Science and Technology (VKIST) project.
Agreeing with and appreciating the host's proposals, President Lee affirmed that the RoK stands ready to share technologies in future industries such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and clean energy, as well as support human resource training to assist Vietnam’s modernisation and development of advanced science and technology. He also proposed strengthening connections between the innovation and start-up ecosystems of the two countries.
The two leaders shared the view that expanding cooperation in culture, education and people-to-people exchanges would provide a solid foundation for sustainable and long-term bilateral relations. They agreed to continue supporting and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of their citizens living, studying and working in each other’s countries, including multicultural families, while promoting practical cooperation between localities.
The top Vietnamese leader also called on the Republic of Korea to support Vietnam in developing cultural and entertainment industries and share experience in tourism promotion.
Regarding cooperation at multilateral forums, General Secretary and President Lam affirmed Vietnam’s readiness to work with the RoK to effectively implement the ASEAN–Korea Action Plan for 2026–2030, and to coordinate with Mekong countries to promote the organisation of the Mekong–Korea Summit in 2026, thereby maximising potential, strengthening economic connectivity, and building new resilient and sustainable value chains.
The leaders shared a common strategic vision on maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea, ensuring legitimate and lawful rights and interests in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982). They also emphasised the importance of promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
After the talks, General Secretary and President Lam and President Lee Jae Myung witnessed the exchange of 12 cooperation agreements signed between ministries and agencies of the two countries across various fields, reflecting the substantive and comprehensive outcomes achieved during this visit.
The cooperation documents include a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in security protection between Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security and the Presidential Security Service of the RoK; and a MoU on digital cooperation and a framework master plan for cooperation in science, technology and innovation between Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology and the RoK’s Ministry of Science and ICT.
A MoU on strengthening cooperation in intellectual property was signed between Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology and the Korean Intellectual Property Office, along with another on cooperation in power infrastructure between Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade and the RoK’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment.
Also in the list are a MoU water resource security cooperation between Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the RoK’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment and another on cooperation in animal quarantine was signed between Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the RoK’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
In the cultural sector, the Vietnamese and RoK Ministries of Culture, Sports and Tourism signed an MoU on cooperation for the 2026–2030 period, alongside that on underwater cultural heritage cooperation between Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Heritage Service.
A MoU on cooperation in food security, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and medical device was also reached between Vietnam’s Ministry of Health and the RoK’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
Meanwhile, Vietnam National Industry - Energy Group (Petrovietnam) and Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) signed an MoU on research cooperation in the development of nuclear power plants. Another MoU on financial cooperation for nuclear power projects between Petrovietnam, KEPCO, the Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM) and Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (KSURE) was also inked.
On the same evening, General Secretary and President Lam and his spouse hosted a grand banquet in honour of President Lee and his spouse on the occasion of their state visit to Vietnam.
