Vietnam - Republic of Korea: From leading partners to strategic alliance
WVR - In this new phase of development, the Vietnam - Republic of Korea relationship faces the demand to elevate both in quality and depth. The State visit to Vietnam by Republic of Korea President Lee Jae Myung (from April 21-24) marks the beginning of a strategic leap to meet this essential requirement, serving as a catalyst to elevate bilateral relations to a higher level.
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| General Secretary, President To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly presided over the welcoming ceremony for Republic of Korea President Lee Jae Myung and his spouse Kim Hae Kyung at the Presidential Palace on April 22, 2026. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
The visit of Republic of Korea President Lee Jae Myung to Vietnam takes place at a time when Vietnam has just consolidated its high-level leadership apparatus following the 14th National Party Congress. Therefore, President Lee Jae Myung becoming the first state guest to visit Vietnam at this time holds political significance and is a very important symbol, reflecting the high level of political trust and strategic priority both sides have for each other in their overall foreign policies.
During the visit, the Republic of Korea President held talks with General Secretary, President To Lam, witnessed the signing of cooperation documents; met with Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man; co-chaired an economic forum, attended a special friendship program, and participated in several other important activities.
Maintaining the strategic "anchor"
Eight months ago, during a State visit to the Republic of Korea, a consistent message was emphasized by General Secretary, President To Lam (then General Secretary): The Vietnam - Republic of Korea relationship, though only spanning over three decades, has developed at an unprecedented pace in history; becoming a reliable partner, cooperating closely at a strategic level, and being close, friendly, and understanding friends.
This "reliable, strategic cooperation" continues to be the "backbone" in high-level exchanges during President Lee Jae Myung's visit this time; becoming a strategic "anchor" for both countries to confidently advance further on the path of cooperation, continuing to sow new seeds on fertile ground: the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea.
During the talks on April 22, General Secretary, President To Lam emphasized that President Lee Jae Myung's visit is the most vivid testament to the strong, effective Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and high political trust between the two countries. For his part, President Lee Jae Myung affirmed that the Republic of Korea - Vietnam relationship is "special, as close as brothers" and that the Republic of Korea will be a reliable partner accompanying Vietnam in achieving the goal of becoming a middle-income developing country by 2030 and a high-income developed country by 2045.
Strong strategic trust provides a powerful impetus for the high-level leaders of the two countries to outline specific roadmaps to synchronize development strategies, transitioning the relationship from breadth to depth, from traditional cooperation to strategic cooperation in multiple fields. In high-level exchanges, the leaders of the two countries agreed to enhance political trust and strategic cooperation at a new level; effectively implement existing cooperation mechanisms and agreements; expand substantive cooperation in key areas such as diplomacy, defense, and security; and coordinate in addressing non-traditional security issues, transnational crime...
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| General Secretary, President To Lam and President Lee Jae Myung at the talks on April 22, 2026. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Unity in diversity
When mentioning the highlights in Vietnam's international economic cooperation, one of the first partners that comes to mind is the Republic of Korea, with consistently top-ranking figures over the years. The Republic of Korea is currently Vietnam's largest investor; one of the two largest tourist source markets; the leading bilateral ODA provider; the third-largest trade partner; and one of the three largest labor markets for Vietnam. Therefore, economic-trade cooperation continues to be a key pillar in bilateral relations.
In the new height of cooperation, in the newly shaped depth of bilateral relations, economic cooperation continues to be regarded by the high-level leaders of both countries as a strategic priority, with a unified effort to create new breakthroughs in this crucial field, reflected in both mindset and action.
The leaders of the two countries agreed on three major priorities: Upgrading economic cooperation towards more quality, balanced, and sustainable development, with the goal of increasing bilateral trade turnover to 100 billion USD and aiming for 150 billion USD by 2030; deeper integration in strategic supply chains, especially in key fields such as semiconductors, digital technology, data, batteries, and clean energy; and closely connecting investment-innovation-human resource training, to enhance Vietnam's position in the value chain while opening up new cooperation spaces for Republic of Korea businesses.
Notably, in this context, science-technology cooperation is seen as the central driving force, focusing on joint research and development, technology transfer, and mastery in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, energy, and smart infrastructure. The spirit of readiness to share technology in future industries like AI, semiconductors, clean energy... was emphasized multiple times by President Lee Jae Myung during the visit.
Sharing with The World and Vietnam Report more specifically about science-technology cooperation between the two countries, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Vu Ho stated that the "push" Vietnam expects does not lie in increasing the number of projects, but in changing the nature of technology cooperation.
Currently, many Republic of Korea businesses have established large production complexes in Vietnam, especially in the electronics sector. The next phase requires a step forward: Bringing Vietnam into higher value-added stages such as design, research and development (R&D), and core technology, particularly in semiconductors and AI. Only then can Vietnam deeply participate in the high-tech value chain. Additionally, the innovation ecosystem, a key factor in technology development, cannot be overlooked. With the connection of R&D centers, technology incubators, venture capital funds, and startup networks, the connection between the two countries will gradually improve in quality. This will help Vietnam upgrade its endogenous capacity, rather than just increasing production output.
With shared determination and a correct roadmap, Vietnam - Republic of Korea economic cooperation is believed to conquer many new goals in general and contribute to the important growth objectives of both countries in particular.
A persistent catalyst
General Secretary, President To Lam explained the fundamental reason for the "unprecedented in history" development of the Vietnam - Republic of Korea relationship lies in the resonant echoes in the souls of the people of the two countries, in the profound, affectionate ties and the close-knit connections of substantive and strategic interests.
Clearly, these "soft bridges" of history, culture, and people have created a solid foundation – the source that nurtures the "branches" of cooperation in the bilateral relationship to develop sustainably. This aspect was also emphasized by the high-level leaders of the two countries during President Lee Jae Myung's visit.
If the economy is the growth driver, culture is the social foundation and soft power, creating empathy, trust, and long-term connection between the two peoples. Approximately 350,000 Vietnamese in the Republic of Korea, a large Korean community in Vietnam, and over 100,000 Vietnam - Korean multicultural families are the core forces weaving this increasingly deep social network; "binding the two nations not just as regional neighbors but as a family," shared Republic of Korea Ambassador to Vietnam Choi Young Sam with the press.
According to Ambassador Choi Young Sam, time has proven that sincere human-to-human connections are the most solid foundation for cooperation between nations. In Vietnam, there is a saying "a friend in need is a friend indeed," while the Republic of Korea believes that "after the rain, the ground becomes firmer."
The visit of Republic of Korea President Lee Jae Myung and the First Lady to Vietnam concluded with the resonant echoes of a special friendship program hosted by General Secretary, President To Lam and his spouse, but at the same time opened a historic moment for a new, bright future in Vietnam - Republic of Korea relations.
