S. Korea, Viet Nam should upgrade alliance to high-tech, healthcare, security: FM minister
"South Korea and Viet Nam should elevate bilateral trade and diplomatic ties to encompass a high-tech and security alliance", FM Bui Thanh Son said in an interview with Republic of Korea (RoK)'s Maeil Business Newspaper during his packed five-day schedule in Seoul from Feb. 8 marking the 30th anniversary of normalization of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
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| Viet Nam's Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son. (Photo: Pulse) |
In the article posted on Pulse by the Maeil Business Newspaper (English version), FM projected bilateral trade that has surged 150 times from the level since diplomatic ties were made in 1992 to 78 billion USD last year would reach the milestone of 100 billion USD in 2023.
South Korea has become the biggest investor in Viet Nam in recent years with investment reaching 75 billion USD that has moved from simple manufacturing to high-tech, like electronics and mobile phones and clean energy projects like LNG power plants.
He found the two countries could contribute more to co-prosperity versus global challenges from digital transition, climate changes, and healthcare dangers by leveraging Korea’s high-tech competitiveness and Viet Nam’s rich natural resources.
Below is the full text of the interview.
Q: Regarding the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Korea-Viet Nam diplomatic ties, what is your evaluation of the last 30 years?
A: I am delighted with the robust and comprehensive developments in our bilateral relations over the past three decades across the board, ranging from political and diplomatic ties, economic and trade cooperation, labor and education collaboration to people-to-people exchange. It could be said that the relationship between Viet Nam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) is currently at its strongest. We have become each other’s top partners in many areas. Such excellent ties have continued to thrive, even amid times of hardship such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cooperation between our political parties, States and people has all been stepped up. Political trust and mutual understanding between the two countries have been strengthened. In particular, the close and candid relationship between our Leaders was constantly enhanced. Our people also enjoy better mutual understanding. These are important factors to foster closer cooperation between our two countries.
For many years, economics, trade, and investment have been a key pillar and a primary driver of Viet Nam- RoK relations. Our bilateral trade turnover in 2021 amounted to 78 billion USD, a 150-fold increase since 1992 when diplomatic relations were established. The ROK has remained the top foreign investor in Viet Nam for many years, with total investment of around 75 billion USD and over 9,200 active projects. Registered capital has increased by over 700 times since 1992.
The focus of the RoK’s FDI into Viet Nam has shifted over time, moving from manufacturing industries in the 1990s to real estate in the early 2000s, and to the production of advanced technological equipment at present. These new projects include electronics and mobile phones, and clean energy projects such as LNG power plants. Recently, a number of Korean enterprises have registered to invest in the first-ever project to produce semiconductor materials in Viet Nam.
Many would agree that only a few nations could understand each other the way the Vietnamese and Koreans do. Such closeness stems from similarities in our history, cultures, norms and customs. Nowadays, kimchi has become a familiar dish of Vietnamese home-cooked meals, and the Korean people are no strangers to Vietnamese spring rolls. Just as Korean bulgogi restaurants have become popular in Viet Nam’s cities, Pho restaurants can be easily spotted in the RoK. In both countries, the sight of the Vietnamese Ao Dai alongside the Korean Hanbok is no longer a rare sight.
The friendship between our two people is deepened through increasingly vibrant exchanges. There are about 200,000 nationals of either country living, working, and studying in the other country. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, there were 5 million arrivals between our countries in 2019 and thousands of direct flights every month.
Ensuring stability and promoting cooperation for development is the common strategic goal of both sides. Therefore, apart from bilateral issues, both sides also enjoy active coordination and mutual support on regional and international issues of mutual interest. Close cooperation is also maintained at international organizations and multilateral forums, including the United Nations, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and regional cooperation mechanisms, such as ASEAN-RoK, ASEAN+3, Mekong-RoK, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the East Asia Summit (EAS).
Q: Over the past 30 years, bilateral trade and economic relations have developed at a fast pace. For the next 30 years of the two countries, what can be the opportunities and challenges?
A: Over the last 30 years, Viet Nam-RoK ties have witnessed solid development with numerous important achievements, particularly in terms of political trust and mutual understanding. This is the premise for the comprehensive and strong development of our cooperation in the next 30 years and beyond. We identify economics and trade as the key pillars of our cooperation and I believe that we will soon reach the target of 100 billion USD two-way trade turnover in 2023 and 150 billion USD in 2030 with a more equitable and sustainable trade balance. I hope that Vietnamese exports will be available in stores all over the RoK and present in the global supply chains of Korean businesses.
However, we have also been addressing a number of shortcomings and challenges posed by the unpredictable and rapidly changing international and regional economic, political and security situations, the global pandemic, and climate change. There are also subjective factors including the level of development, operational mechanism, implementation mindset, vision for the future, among others.
To timely address the shortcomings and challenges, and resolve emerging issues, we need to provide each other with more support and attention, maintain flexible cooperation mechanisms at all levels, including at the high-level, in ways that we implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, we need to study and put forth various initiatives to further promote economic cooperation via new projects, new investment areas, such as digital transformation, green growth and climate adaptation, new products such as the co-production and export of solutions to eliminate diesel exhaust emissions, environment-friendly inputs, cooperation in high technology such as semiconductors, or the technology and know-how of preventive healthcare. Alongside the enhancement of co-production, we need to promote cutting-edge technology transfer and training.
Reality has shown that our bilateral cooperation is growing with increasingly interwoven interests. One country’s success will help the other on its path of development. Therefore, for the next phase of our journey, strengthening cooperation towards greater sustainability for mutual benefit, with increasing trust, will bring about prosperity for our two countries. With the joint effort of both sides, I am confident that we will soon witness these significant changes.
Q: Viet Nam is perceived as a young and vibrant country to Koreans. As a foreign minister, how do you perceive Korea? What can Korea do to better relationship with Viet Nam?
A: I always pay close attention to and admire the Miracle on the Han River of the Korean people over the past decades. Like Viet Nam, the RoK is a young and dynamic country. The Koreans are hardworking, innovative people with the burning desire to build a prosperous life and bring their nation into global prominence.
Since the early 2000s, the RoK has set the goal of advocating a vigorous country with the motto “Dynamic Korea”. This serves to demonstrate the ROK’s determination to create breakthroughs in its national development. To date, the RoK has largely achieved that goal and become an exemplary dynamic and prosperous country. The RoK is a leading power in various aspects, namely economy, science and technology, culture and the arts, and foreign relations. Recently, the energy of the RoK is most clearly manifested through its successes in achieving the dual goals of combating COVID-19 and fostering socio-economic recovery.
Thirty years ago, in the spirit of setting aside the past and looking towards the future, Viet Nam and the RoK shook hands and established formal diplomatic relations, opening up a new chapter in history. That choice has been proven correct by the fruits of cooperation and development that our two countries enjoy today. Nowadays, our two countries are not merely each other’s friendly but strategic partners.
Despite such important gains as I mentioned earlier, these outcomes have not yet lived up to the potential between our two countries. There remains a lot of room for us to advance cooperation and reap greater benefits in the interest of both countries, and contribute to peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
To that end, we must first continue to bolster political trust and conduct frequent exchanges at all levels, including the high-level, while deepening security and defense cooperation. The two sides should continue to view economic, scientific and technological cooperation as an important pillar, and prioritize efforts to further advance these areas, especially FDI, trade and technology transfer. Educational cooperation and cultural and people-to-people exchanges should be regarded as important measures to deepen our mutual understanding. We do hope the RoK will share its developmental experience with Viet Nam, and assist Viet Nam in areas where the RoK enjoys an edge and abundant resources and Viet Nam has the needs.
It is important for the two sides to conduct joint research and seize the opportunities and emerging global trends to promote cooperation in potential areas, most notably digital transformation, climate change response and communicable diseases. This serves to better understand each other’s needs and facilitate each other’s nation-building and development process.
The Vietnamese community in the RoK, with the Korean – Vietnamese families at the core, is an important bridge linking the two nations and countries. Thus, the attention and accommodation given by the people and authorities of the RoK to the Vietnamese community to preserve the latter’s cultural identity during their integration and development processes will contribute to strengthening the enduring and close-knit relations between the two countries.
I am confident that, building on the existing foundation, the bilateral relations between the two countries will thrive to be more effective and substantive, helping the two countries grow and enhance their standing in the world.
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| South Korea and Viet Nam should upgrade alliance to high-tech, healthcare, security: FM minister. (Photo: Pulse) |
Q: How have the bilateral ties helped Viet Nam since the COVID-19 virus broke out? How should we cooperate to address future health crises?
A: Both countries have a saying that can amount to “a friend in need is a friend in deed”. I want to reaffirm that we are true friends, particularly looking at what we have done for each other during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In spite of many difficulties both sides had to face, we have extended timely and effective assistance to each other in the fight against the pandemic and in sustaining economic activities. We have effectively maintained regular exchanges either via telephone conversations and virtual meetings as well as face-to-face contacts between our senior leaders, ministries, agencies and localities. This serves to keep track of our bilateral cooperation progress and better understand each other’s needs.
Since the early days of the outbreak, despite facing numerous domestic challenges, the Government of the RoK has provided Viet Nam with a multitude of Covid-19 medical equipment and vaccines, and facilitated Vietnamese citizens’ vaccination in the RoK. The RoK citizens and businesses in Viet Nam also actively participated in and supported the Vietnamese Government and local authorities in responding to the pandemic.
When Viet Nam had difficulty in accessing vaccine supply in 2021, the RoK was among the first countries to offer Viet Nam vaccine donation through the bilateral channel. At the same time, Viet Nam also facilitated the entry of tens of thousands of RoK nationals to continue their economic activities in Viet Nam. Our two governments have created every favorable condition for our localities to maintain cooperation.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a wake-up call for humanity about the devastating impacts of communicable diseases in the era of globalization. It raises our awareness of the importance of cooperation in disease response, aiming towards better ensuring people`s lives and health. On that note, Viet Nam initiated the proclamation of December 27 as the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, and was endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly.
The Covid-19 pandemic has also created many new cooperation opportunities in healthcare for our two countries in the coming time. Therefore, our two countries need to promote more effective and substantive cooperation in research and transfer of production technology for Covid-19 vaccines and treatment drugs. This includes stepping up the project to build Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Viet Nam with EDCF’s funding.
Q: Currently, there is a mandatory 3-day quarantine upon entry for most travelers in Viet Nam and 7-day quarantine in Korea. Is there a possibility of shortening quarantine or starting quarantine-free entry?
A: Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Viet Nam has been very timely and decisive in assessing the situation and making appropriate and effective decisions which are highly regarded by the international community. The shift from the drastic ‘Zero COVID-19’ policy to safe and flexible adaptation, targeting both effective control of the epidemic and restoration of economic development, has started to prove efficiency.
To support the step-by-step reopening of the economy in a safe and effective manner, facilitating international tourists and investors to travel to and from Viet Nam, regulations on immigration and health control have been adjusted by the Government of Viet Nam, shortening the quarantine period for those entering the country without being fully vaccinated, and replacing quarantine with a 3-day self-monitoring in place of residence for those who have been fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19.
In the coming time, depending on the situation on the ground, Viet Nam will continue to review and adjust regulations related to health control for travellers entering the country. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will closely coordinate with relevant agencies to promptly update instructions on this issue with a view to creating more favorable conditions for foreigners, including Korean citizens, to enter Viet Nam.
Q: Before COVID-19, Viet Nam was one of the most visited tourist destinations by Koreans. After COVID-19, visa and quarantine issues have made it virtually difficult to travel except for Phu Quoc Island. Can we expect to travel entire Viet Nam freely by this fall?
A: Encouraged by the initial success of the policy of ‘safe and flexible adaptation and effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic’ and the high rate of vaccination, (Viet Nam is ranked 6th in the world), since November 2021, Viet Nam has been implementing a pilot roadmap on safe re-opening of inbound tourism with 3 phases. We are currently at phase 2, receiving international tourists to 7 localities, namely Binh Dinh, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Quang Nam, Quang Ninh and Ho Chi Minh City. The full re-opening of inbound tourism, which is phase 3, will start from the second Quarter of the year, while safeguarding epidemic prevention and control measures as regulated.
To secure the safety of Vietnamese and foreign tourists, including those from Korea, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has instructed relevant ministries and localities to develop and implement a tourism re-opening plan in a safe and effective manner. Relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are taking prompt actions to complete and issue the safety procedures for foreign tourists, including qualifications before getting on the plane, procedures after landing while travelling in Viet Nam. Priority is given to minimizing unnecessary regulations, using vaccine passports, travel insurance, and digital health applications. The Government of Viet Nam will carefully consider and soon announce these updated policies for domestic and foreign tourists.
Besides, to create favorable conditions for foreign visitors in the pandemic context, Viet Nam has been approving the vaccination certificates or vaccine passports issued by 79 countries and territories, including those by the RoK. We hope that the Korean government soon approves our vaccine passports to facilitate the entry of Vietnamese citizens into Korea.
(Source: Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea)
