South Korea: President Lee says ties with Vietnam on path to deeper 'strategic, future-oriented' cooperation

Seoul, Aug 7 South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has said bilateral relations between South Korea and Vietnam are ready to reach new heights by expanding cooperation into "strategic and future-oriented" sectors, such as artificial intelligence and infrastructure.

Lee made the remark in a media interview ahead of the upcoming state visit to South Korea by Vietnam's top leader, To Lam, early next week, calling the Southeast Asian nation an "indispensable" partner not only in economic cooperation but also in efforts toward peace and stability.

"The relationship between the Republic of Korea and Vietnam is much closer than the geographical distance," Lee said in a written interview with Vietnam News Agency, published Thursday.

"The bilateral relationship will not only stop at trade and investment cooperation as it is now, but will reach out to collaboration in future strategic areas, such as national infrastructure, science and technology, and human resources training," he said.

Lee's office said Lam will make a four-day trip to South Korea starting Sunday, in what will be the first visit by a foreign leader since Lee took office in early June, Yonhap news agency reported.

Lee said that Lam's state visit demonstrates the importance South Korea attaches to its relations with Vietnam and will be another meaningful chapter in the bilateral ties.

Lee took note of the robust economic cooperation the two countries have continued over the past three decades, with Vietnam now being South Korea's third-largest trading partner and more than 10,000 Korean companies operating in Vietnam.

"Vietnam is a country with full potential to become a centre of new growth industries with advantages such as young and talented human resources; attractive investment environment," he said.

"I am confident that Vietnam and the Republic of Korea will continue to consolidate their position as each other's most reliable partners."

Lee pointed out that Vietnam's cooperation is important for Seoul's peace efforts for the Korean Peninsula.

"As peace and denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula are no longer a particular issue confined to the region, Vietnam is an indispensable and essential partner in the transition toward reconciliation and cooperation between the two Koreas," he said.

With over 5 million mutual visits each year, Lee also noted that Vietnam's popular tourist city of Da Nang is often jokingly referred to in Korea as "Da Nang of Gyeonggi Province" -- the province where he served as governor before entering politics and becoming president -- because so many South Koreans travel there for vacation.

Lee added that there are around 100,000 Korean-Vietnamese multicultural families in Korea, saying that the two nations are "connected like 'two in-laws' through bonds of marriage."

"People-to-people exchanges are so vibrant that stories like this have become common," he said. "(They) form a strong bridge connecting the two countries. They are reliable 'civilian diplomats' who promote the development of bilateral relations," he said.

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