President Lee Jae-myung will invite To Lam, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, to Korea for talks on the 11th. This marks the first visit of a foreign leader to Korea since the inauguration of the Lee Jae-myung administration. General Secretary To Lam is the top ranking official in Vietnam's national power structure, and it's been 11 years since a party general secretary has visited Korea, with the last visit occurring in 2014. As Vietnam has resumed projects such as nuclear power plants and high-speed rail, expectations have grown that large-scale contracts will be finalized during the upcoming talks between the two countries.
According to Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung on the 7th, General Secretary To Lam will visit Korea as a state guest from the 10th to the 13th at the invitation of President Lee. Spokesperson Kang noted, "President Lee plans to engage in in-depth discussions with General Secretary To Lam not only in the fields of political security, trade, and investment but also in future strategy areas such as national infrastructure projects including nuclear power, high-speed rail, and smart cities, as well as cultivating scientific and technological talent,"
Spokesperson Kang said, "We expect this state visit by General Secretary To Lam will confirm both countries' commitment to develop Korea-Vietnam relations in a more forward-looking and mutually beneficial manner, and it will serve as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN."
This upcoming summit is noteworthy as it is taking place while Vietnam resumes projects involving nuclear power and high-speed rail. Previously, Vietnam had approved plans to develop two nuclear reactors in 2009; however, following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, concerns over safety arose, leading to a halt in plans in 2016. Recently, as power shortages have intensified, the Vietnamese government announced it would reconsider its plan for introducing nuclear power.
According to foreign news reports, the Vietnamese government has made significant revisions to the national power development plan to include nuclear power projects. The previously halted Ninh Thuan nuclear power project is set to resume with a target completion date of 2030. The project scale is estimated at a total of 30 trillion won, with plans to build four nuclear reactors.
The Korean government is also accelerating the process for securing new nuclear power projects. Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) hosted a workshop on nuclear power cooperation, inviting a delegation of 11 members led by a former Vice Minister of Investment Planning from Vietnam on the 30th of last month. During this event, KEPCO shared its construction and operational technology and safety management experience for nuclear power, presenting customized models.