Lee Jae-myung, the president, on the 22nd (local time) held a summit with To Lam, the Communist Party general secretary and state president of Vietnam, and said, "Since establishing diplomatic ties in 1992, Korea and Vietnam have, in just 34 years, developed the best cooperative relationship across many fields including politics, the economy, and people-to-people exchanges," adding, "I hope the peoples, corporations, and governments of the two countries will work together to turn our quantitative achievements into qualitative ones and move forward toward a future of sustainable, shared prosperity."
The president said this in opening remarks at the Korea-Vietnam summit held that afternoon at the Vietnamese Presidential Palace.
The president said, "About 5 million people from the two countries visit each other every year, and exchanges are expanding by the day in virtually all fields, including culture, education, and the environment," adding, "The two countries are each other's top three trading partners, Korea is Vietnam's largest investor, and more than 10,000 Korean corporations have advanced into Vietnam, contributing to the economic growth of both countries and the industrial development of Vietnam."
He went on to emphasize, "I hope the two countries will pursue mutually beneficial cooperation not only in trade and investment but also in energy security, transportation infrastructure, science and technology, and education and culture, and produce tangible results that the peoples and corporations of both countries can feel."
In opening remarks, General Secretary Lam said, "The president's visit most clearly and definitively demonstrates the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, which is based on strong, effective, and high trust."
General Secretary Lam said, "In pursuing an independent and creative multilateral diplomatic policy and actively and comprehensively seeking international peace, Vietnam has always valued its relationship with Korea and hopes to cooperate with Korea for practical, effective, and long-term development of bilateral ties in all fields," adding, "We are ready to have in-depth discussions with the president on key measures to deepen the Vietnam-Korea comprehensive strategic partnership, as well as on regional and international issues of mutual interest."
The joint press announcement focused mainly on cooperation in energy and infrastructure. The president said, "Tomorrow, a contract will be signed for Korea's export of railway cars for Ho Chi Minh City's metro," adding, "I hope this contract will help improve Vietnam's railway infrastructure, and that it will lead to expanded cooperation between the two countries in Vietnam's large-scale transportation and logistics infrastructure projects currently underway."
The president then said, "General Secretary To Lam said he would support the safety of our nationals visiting Vietnam and the convenient stay of our compatriots residing in Vietnam and second-generation Korea-Vietnam families," adding, "I will also continue working to improve the rights and interests of Vietnamese workers and marriage migrants in Korea."
That day, Korea and Vietnam signed 12 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) to strengthen cooperation in a range of fields, including nuclear power. Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and Vietnam's National Industry and Energy Corporation signed an "MOU on reviewing the potential for cooperation in nuclear power development," and KEPCO, the Export-Import Bank of Korea, and the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation separately adopted an "MOU on reviewing potential financial cooperation for nuclear power projects" with Vietnam's National Industry and Energy Corporation.
In addition, MOUs were signed on cooperation in power infrastructure, digital cooperation, and science and technology innovation. The Ministry of Intellectual Property and the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) signed an "MOU on deepening cooperation in intellectual property" for trademark data exchange and joint responses to counterfeit goods damages, and the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety and Vietnam's Ministry of Health signed an "MOU on safety cooperation for food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and medical devices" to expand cooperation in areas such as medical product development driven by AI innovation.