President Lee: "Korea-Vietnam Cooperation Must Move Beyond Quantitative Achievements to Qualitative Transformation"... To Lam: "A Visit Demonstrating Special Trust"

President Lee Holds Summit with General Secretary Vo Van Thuong
111-Minute One-on-One and Expanded Talks

"Geopolitical Uncertainties and Tech Supremacy Competition Intensify... Toward a Future of Shared Prosperity"

"Tangible Results Nee

President Lee Jae-myung said, "At a time when geopolitical uncertainty is unprecedentedly high and global competition for technological supremacy is intensifying, I hope that our two peoples, businesses, and governments can transform our quantitative achievements into qualitative progress, moving together toward a sustainable future of shared prosperity."

President Lee Jae-myung and Vo Van Thuong, General Secretary of the Vietnam Communist Party and State President, are holding an expanded summit meeting at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on the 22nd (local time). Photo by Yonhap News

On the 22nd (local time), at the expanded summit meeting with General Secretary and State President Vo Van Thuong of Vietnam held at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, President Lee stated, "Vietnam recorded the highest economic growth rate in the region last year and is driving regional development as the core economic engine of ASEAN. I highly appreciate these achievements."

President Lee continued, "I hope that our two countries will pursue mutually beneficial cooperation not only in trade and investment, but also in areas such as energy security, transportation and infrastructure, science and technology, and education and culture, and that our peoples and businesses will be able to experience tangible and meaningful results."

President Lee also reiterated the history of the development of bilateral relations. He said, "Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between Korea and Vietnam in 1992, in just 34 years, the two countries have built the best partnership across various fields, including politics, economy, and people-to-people exchanges. Every year, about 5 million people from both countries visit each other, and exchanges are expanding day by day in all areas, including culture and education."

In particular, President Lee emphasized the significance of the early realization of reciprocal state visits. He said, "General Secretary Thuong was the first state guest to visit Korea after the launch of our government last year, and my visit to Vietnam now marks the first state visit just two weeks after the new Vietnamese leadership took office. I believe this fact alone clearly demonstrates the special relationship between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea."

President Lee further stressed, "The two countries are each other's top three trade partners, and Korea is the largest investor in Vietnam. More than 10,000 Korean companies have entered Vietnam, contributing to the economic growth of both countries and the industrial development of Vietnam."

President Lee Jae-myung and Vo Long, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and State President, are reviewing the honor guard at the official welcoming ceremony held on the 22nd (local time) at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Earlier, in his opening remarks, General Secretary Thuong said, "President Lee's visit is the clearest demonstration of the comprehensive strategic partnership between our two countries, which is based on a high level of trust," adding, "I congratulate the Korean government and people on the remarkable achievements recently attained under President Lee's leadership."

He further remarked on President Lee's approach to national governance, saying, "I am deeply impressed by the principles of coexistence and harmony, respect and trust that you prioritize in your administration. I believe that, based on these core values and your leadership and strategic vision, Korea will achieve even greater success and contribute to peace and prosperity in the region and the world."

General Secretary Thuong said, "Over the past 35 years, the Vietnam-Korea comprehensive strategic partnership has achieved remarkable results in all areas. I am pleased that the two countries have built a close friendship and a truly trustworthy partnership, cooperating and understanding each other on a strategic level."

He added, "The Vietnamese Party, state, and people highly value President Lee's dedication to bilateral relations, from your time as mayor of Seongnam to your tenure as president. We are ready to deepen strategic trust, expand practical cooperation, and discuss in depth not only major ways to advance the comprehensive strategic partnership, but also regional and international issues of mutual interest."

Meanwhile, on this day, the two leaders held a small-group summit for 42 minutes from 4:30 p.m. local time, followed by an expanded summit for 69 minutes from 5:13 p.m., spending a total of 111 minutes in discussions—longer than initially expected.

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