Cho Hyun: "President Lee’s Visit to Vietnam to Lay Foundation for Strengthened Cooperation in Supply Chains and Technology"

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun announced that, on the occasion of President Lee Jaemyung’s state visit to Vietnam, an institutional foundation will be established to strengthen cooperation in strategic sectors such as core mineral supply chains and advanced science and technology.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun is responding to lawmakers' questions at the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee plenary meeting held at the National Assembly on the 15th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On April 21, during a written interview with the local media outlet “Tuoi Tre,” conducted as part of President Lee Jaemyung’s state visit to Vietnam, Minister Cho stated, “The most significant aspect of this visit is the advancement of strategic economic cooperation,” and shared these plans.

In particular, Minister Cho highlighted, “Both countries are working toward the goal of achieving USD 150 billion in trade by 2030,” and added, “This visit will serve as an opportunity to establish an institutional foundation for strengthening cooperation in strategic areas such as core mineral supply chains and advanced science and technology.” He explained, “Currently, there are about 10,000 Korean companies operating in Vietnam, including major conglomerates such as Samsung and LG. Through this, we aim to further develop supply chain cooperation into a more sophisticated and comprehensive direction.”

Minister Cho also addressed the strengthening of cooperation in strategic sectors such as energy, infrastructure, science and technology, and innovation. He stated, “Beyond simple manufacturing investment, sharing technology and nurturing talent in future industries such as AI, semiconductors, and clean energy will serve as a springboard for both the modernization of Vietnam and the advancement of cutting-edge science and technology, driving future progress together.”

Additionally, Minister Cho emphasized, “Talent development is a crucial investment to keep pace with the expanding industrial cooperation between the two countries.” Accordingly, the government plans this year to expand initiatives aimed at strengthening basic technical competencies for Vietnamese youth in fields such as automotive, shipbuilding, and electrical/electronics, while also continuing to foster specialists in future technology sectors including AI, advanced manufacturing, environment, and energy.

Minister Cho remarked, “The world is currently experiencing a period of upheaval due to supply chain restructuring and geopolitical instability,” and stressed, “Amid this turbulence, Vietnam is Korea’s most important ‘global key partner,’ not only as a member of ASEAN, but also as a nation with whom we address global challenges spanning both the economy and security.”

Meanwhile, starting today and continuing through April 24, President Lee is undertaking a state visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Communist Party Secretary General and President To Lam.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.