Korean and Vietnamese Leaders and Their Spouses Deepen Friendship and Ties at Thang Long Citadel, a Site of a Thousand-Year Dynasty

During their state visit to Vietnam, President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung held a friendly meeting with Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary and State President Vo Van Thuong and his wife at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi, Vietnam, on the 24th (local time), strengthening the friendship between the two leaders. This event was a social gathering for the leaders and their spouses, organized on the final day of President Lee's state visit to Vietnam.

President Lee Jae-myung and his wife, along with Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary and State President Vo Van Thuong and his wife, are taking a commemorative photo at the Hanoi Thang Long Imperial Citadel, a representative cultural heritage site in Vietnam, during their friendly visit on the 24th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News

원본보기 아이콘

On the morning of the 24th, President Lee and First Lady Kim arrived at the Doan Mon Gate inside the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in a vehicle adorned with the flags of Korea and Vietnam. General Secretary Vo Van Thuong and Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan had arrived earlier and welcomed the presidential couple. President Lee wore a dark gray suit with a necktie featuring the red, blue, and white colors of the Taegeuk symbol, while First Lady Kim accompanied him in a white two-piece suit. General Secretary Vo was dressed in a deep navy suit with a yellow tie, and Ms. Ngo wore a turquoise ao dai.

In front of Doan Mon Gate, a troupe of 40 performers of the Vietnamese traditional festival drum "Trong Hoi" and 16 performers of the lion dance "Mua Lan Su Rong" awaited in traditional attire. As the two leaders and their spouses met, the sound of drums resounded, and President Lee shook hands with General Secretary Vo before engaging in conversation as they proceeded toward Doan Mon Gate.

The leaders and their spouses first took commemorative photos with Doan Mon Gate as the backdrop. After the photo session, General Secretary Vo pointed across to the Hanoi Flag Tower and explained it to President Lee, who listened and nodded in response. As they walked, President Lee pointed to nearby trees and fruits, continuing the conversation.

President Lee Jae-myung and his wife, along with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of the State of Vietnam, Mr. Vo Van Thuong, and his wife, are watching a traditional performance at the Hanoi Tanglong Imperial Citadel, a representative cultural heritage site in Vietnam, on the 24th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News.

원본보기 아이콘

Next, the leaders and their spouses toured the relics exhibition hall and the national treasures exhibition hall in sequence. At the relics exhibition, they viewed a traditional roof tile ornament shaped like a phoenix and listened to explanations from a Thang Long Citadel official. As they moved toward Kinh Thien Palace, an official explained that French architectural styles were also incorporated into the buildings, to which President Lee listened attentively, nodding in agreement.

The Thang Long Imperial Citadel is a historical site that has blended Chinese, Vietnamese, and French architectural styles over a thousand years across various dynasties, serving as the political center of Vietnam for much of its history. In 2010, it was designated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site and is recognized as a prominent historical heritage of Vietnam.

The leaders and their spouses then moved to a performance hall set up behind Kinh Thien Palace to enjoy a traditional Vietnamese music performance. During the intermission, President Lee and General Secretary Vo conversed, with President Lee responding with laughter and nods. First Lady Kim also watched the performance alongside Ms. Ngo, engaging in conversation as well. After the performance, the Vietnamese side presented the leaders and their spouses with a commemorative photo album. The two couples looked through the album together and conversed, and later took commemorative photos with the performers.

In a briefing, Lee Gyuyun, Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Relations and Communication, stated, "After touring the national treasures and relics exhibited at the citadel, the leaders and their spouses enjoyed tea and watched a traditional performance outdoors, further deepening the friendship and ties between the two leaders."

Meanwhile, a Korea-Vietnam Science and Technology Innovation Forum was held at V-KIST on the morning of the 24th. According to the presidential office, it is highly unusual for a country to transfer its own science and technology hub institution to another country. The Korea-Vietnam Institute of Science and Technology (V-KIST) is a symbol of Korea’s grant aid project for Vietnam. A total of 70 million dollars in official development assistance (ODA) funds was invested over 10 years from 2014, leading to its opening in 2023.

Going forward, the two countries plan to accelerate science and technology cooperation centered around V-KIST. At the innovation forum that day, both sides announced plans to conduct joint research in high value-added fields such as smart manufacturing, secondary batteries, semiconductors, energy, and bio, using the V-KIST infrastructure as a foundation.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.