Korean President hosts welcome ceremony for Vietnamese Party leader

President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Lee Jae Myung and his spouse hosted an official welcome ceremony at the Yongsan Presidential Office on August 11 morning for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee To Lam and his spouse, who are on a four-day state visit to the East Asian country.

A military band played the national anthems of both countries, and 21-cannon salute was fired during the ceremony, showing the RoK's high regard for the visit by the Vietnamese Party leader, his spouse and the high-ranking delegation. Then the two leaders reviewed the guard of honour.

Korean President Lee Jae Myung and his spouse welcome Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse. (Photo: VNA)

Since the two countries established their diplomatic ties in 1992, the bilateral relationship has become a model of a very special, effective, and substantive partnership. It has reached its highest framework - Comprehensive Strategic Partnership - with a very high level of political trust, thanks to substantive cooperation in various fields that has brought tangible benefits to the people and business communities of both sides.

The RoK is currently Vietnam’s largest investor and its third-biggest trading partner. Meanwhile, Vietnam is the RoK’s top priority partner for development assistance.

As of May 2025, the RoK had 10,203 valid projects with registered capital totalling 94 billion USD in Vietnam, accounting for 23.5% of all FDI projects and 18.1% of registered foreign investment. Vietnam currently has 112 investment projects in the RoK with total capital of 37.4 million USD. Bilateral trade reached 81.5 billion USD in 2024, up 7.3% year-on-year.

Collaboration in culture, education, labour, tourism, and other areas has recorded significant achievements as well. In the fields of science, technology, and innovation, an area expected to become a new pillar of the bilateral relations, Vietnam and the RoK have achieved many promising and encouraging outcomes.

As Vietnam advances its major national development orientations, Party General Secretary To Lam’s state visit to the RoK demonstrates the country’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations, and proactive, active, comprehensive, intensive, extensive and effective international integration.

It is also an important diplomatic activity aimed at promoting the implementation of the Politburo’s Resolution No. 59 on international integration in the new situation.