With a solid foundation and high hopes for the strength of bilateral ties, including parliamentary ties, this visit will also make a major contribution to ties between the two nations, the VNA news agency assessed last night announcing the visitor’s arrival in Ho City Chi Minh.
Kim is the first senior South Korean leader to travel to the Indochinese nation after the two countries upgraded ties to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership last December, when they also marked the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
In recent years, ties between the two countries’ legislatures have been strengthened through regular contacts and exchanges between delegations of heads of state or government, parliamentary commissions and friendship groups.
In particular, the official visit of the President of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Vietnam, Vuong Dinh Hue, to South Korea in December 2021 after a forced break due to the Covid-19 pandemic contributed to the deepening of bilateral relations overall.
Legislative bodies in Hanoi and Seoul maintain close coordination and
mutual support in international and regional forums, and both advocate promoting the role of parliamentary friendship circles and strengthening activities for the exchange of information and professional experience.
Vietnam and South Korea established diplomatic relations on December 22, 1992, and since then their relationship has developed strongly and substantially based on political trust, cultural similarity, geographic proximity, and the fact that they share common strategic interests.
South Korea is currently the largest provider of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Vietnam, second in foreign aid, employment and tourist exodus, and third in trade cooperation.
Meanwhile, Vietnam is South Korea’s largest economic partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), accounting for 30 percent of foreign direct investment and 50 percent of total trade turnover between that nation and the regional bloc.
South Korean Parliament Speaker Kim Jin-pyo’s visit to Vietnam will continue until the 18th.
lam/mpm