The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is expanding its infrastructure cooperation in line with Vietnam's national development plans. The Vietnamese leadership has requested South Korea's assistance in achieving its national development goals, leading to discussions on practical agendas such as railway modernization, urban development, and industrial infrastructure.
According to recent reports from local Vietnamese media, Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party and President of Vietnam, met with Kim Yoon-deok, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, on July 30 in Hanoi. Trong stated that Kim's visit would serve as an opportunity to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries and strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and South Korea.
Ministry of Land Meets with Vietnamese Leadership to Expand Development Agenda
Trong emphasized the importance of Vietnam's relationship with South Korea and expressed a desire to further strengthen cooperation in political, economic, trade, investment, science and technology, culture, and human exchanges. He also mentioned hopes to achieve a trade target of $150 billion (approximately 216 trillion won) between the two countries by 2030 in a balanced and sustainable manner.
He positively assessed the collaboration between the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, suggesting that both sides share experiences and enhance practical cooperation in infrastructure construction, renewable energy, shipbuilding technology, and advanced human resource development.
During the meeting, Kim conveyed greetings from President Lee Jae-myung to Trong and other senior Vietnamese leaders. He congratulated Vietnam on its economic and social development achievements and expressed confidence that Vietnam would reach its goal of becoming a developing country with modern industry by 2030 and a high-income developed country by 2045.
Kim also presented a letter from President Lee to Trong, outlining South Korea's commitment to developing the bilateral cooperation and being a reliable partner in Vietnam's national development efforts.
Discussions on Practical Cooperation
Additionally, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport continued discussions on practical cooperation in the railway sector. On July 31, the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held a Vietnam-South Korea railway technology cooperation meeting in Hanoi. The meeting was co-chaired by Tran Tien Khanh, Director of the Vietnam Railway Authority and head of the Vietnamese delegation, and Kim Tae-byeong, Director of the Railway Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
This meeting was the first technical meeting held under the memorandum of understanding on railway cooperation signed between Vietnam and South Korea in 2025. Khanh noted that both sides have been working on institutional capacity enhancement, technical support, railway personnel training, and infrastructure improvement projects in the Kennet Pass region using South Korea's Economic Development Cooperation Fund.
He emphasized that these activities hold significant meaning in the modernization of Vietnam's railway network. The South Korean side viewed the first technical meeting as a new starting point for railway cooperation between the two countries. Kim stated that South Korea values comprehensive railway cooperation with Vietnam, including infrastructure, technology, and human resource training. He added that South Korea has experience in developing high-speed rail technology and can support Vietnam in developing a modern railway system.
During the meeting, both sides discussed plans for railway projects, including high-speed rail, technology exchanges, operational system establishment, maintenance capacity enhancement, and personnel training. South Korean railway-related institutions expressed their willingness to share their experiences in project planning, management, technology transfer, operations, and maintenance, and to support Vietnam in the high-speed rail sector.
From Railways to Urban Development: Collaboration in Bac Ninh Province Takes Shape
The discussions also expanded to local government development. On July 31, in Bac Ninh Province, Nguyen Hong Tai, a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and Secretary of the Bac Ninh Provincial Party Committee, welcomed the delegation led by Minister Kim and discussed investment, urban infrastructure, and industrial development cooperation.
Located near the capital Hanoi, Bac Ninh Province is home to major South Korean companies, including Samsung Electronics, and considers South Korea a key economic partner for regional development. Tai highlighted that several South Korean conglomerates continue to invest and operate in Bac Ninh, contributing to regional economic growth, job creation, and industrial restructuring. He emphasized that Bac Ninh will continue to create favorable conditions for the expansion of investment and production by South Korean companies.
The province presented its expanded development space following administrative reorganization as a foundation for cooperation with South Korea. Tai explained that the adjustment of provincial administrative units has led to an increase in economic scale and population, creating conditions for new growth hubs. He also mentioned significant changes, including the approval of the comprehensive urban plan for Bac Ninh by 2050 and the recognition of meeting first-class urban standards by 2075.
Urban development plans involving the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) were also key topics of discussion. Tai noted that the former southeastern new city project in Bac Ninh is significant for urban space development in the province. He expressed hope that LH would develop this area into a creative city, serving as a model for urban development in Vietnam.
Minister Kim praised Bac Ninh's economic and social development achievements and its competitiveness in attracting investment. He pointed out that many South Korean companies are operating in Bac Ninh, underscoring the province's important role in the global supply chain. He also stated that South Korea is ready to share its experiences in planning, technology infrastructure development, smart city construction, and modern traffic management.
Meanwhile, LH specifically outlined its intention to pursue large-scale development projects in Bac Ninh. LH expressed hope that Bac Ninh would promptly approve investment policies for the southeastern new city project, covering approximately 223.5 hectares, with an estimated total investment of 19.78 trillion dong. LH also proposed the establishment of a high-tech industrial complex covering about 350 hectares. Meeting participants discussed prioritizing cooperation in sustainable solutions for industrial complex infrastructure, modern urban development, and urbanization.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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