Vietnam and South Korea are exploring ways to expand their 12-year youth exchange program into a collaboration focused on joint research and policy experience sharing. The goal is to elevate cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as administrative innovation, digital transformation, and youth talent development, beyond the existing visit and learning-based programs.
On September 14, according to Vietnam's Ministry of Home Affairs, the Korea Foundation (KF) and the ministry held a meeting in Hanoi with a South Korean youth delegation as part of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on experience sharing and youth exchange cooperation. Doan Duc Hao, Director of the Youth and Gender Equality Department, represented the minister and welcomed the South Korean delegation led by Choi Jae-jin, KF's ASEAN Culture Center Director.
The youth exchange program, now in its 12th year, has seen nine Vietnamese delegations visit South Korea and four South Korean delegations visit Vietnam. Approximately 400 young leaders and civil servants from central and local agencies have shared expertise, administrative experiences, and cultural insights during these exchanges. The Ministry of Home Affairs noted that this long-standing collaboration has become a pathway for understanding each country's administrative operations and policy experiences. Participants have examined each other's administrative management systems and policy operations, with some in-depth exchange content serving as reference material for administrative and policy work in both countries.
During the discussions, the need to enhance the capabilities of young civil servants in line with changes in Vietnam's administrative system was also raised. Director Doan Duc Hao explained that Vietnam has been pursuing administrative organization simplification, decentralization, delegation of authority, and administrative reform over the past two years, and is implementing a two-tier local government model.
As the administrative environment evolves, the competencies required of young civil servants are also expanding. The Vietnamese side emphasized that not only professional skills but also digital proficiency, innovative thinking, and adaptability to new administrative environments have become crucial. The Ministry of Home Affairs particularly values South Korea's accumulated experience in administrative modernization, advanced talent development, national-level digital transformation, and youth participation in socio-economic activities, indicating that there is significant potential to draw on South Korea's experiences during Vietnam's administrative reform process.
As the current MOU approaches its final year, both sides discussed the next phase of cooperation. The Vietnamese side proposed future collaboration areas including public administration innovation, building modern local governments, digital transformation of government agencies, youth talent development, job creation and capacity building, support for entrepreneurship and innovation, gender equality, and nurturing outstanding talent. There were also suggestions to broaden the scope of participation. Vietnam proposed including not only relevant specialized agencies and grassroots local governments but also young individuals with exceptional capabilities or ideas in priority cooperation areas.
The emphasis was placed on transitioning from the existing 'visits, learning, and exchanges' model to a deeper 'joint research, sharing, and development' approach. The idea is for both sides to select practical topics for joint investigation and research, compiling experiences and ideas that can be applied in the field. Plans are also in place to expand cooperation methods beyond face-to-face delegation exchanges. The Vietnamese side highlighted the need to activate academic conferences, thematic seminars, youth civil servant exchanges, and sharing of specialized materials, while continuing to leverage the network of approximately 400 participants from the past 12 years of the program.
Choi Jae-jin, KF's ASEAN Culture Center Director, mentioned during the meeting that he has closely collaborated with the Ministry of Home Affairs since serving as the chief representative of the KF Hanoi office from 2021 to 2024. He stated, "The development of the youth exchange program over the past 12 years is a testament to the friendly relations and cooperation between our two countries."
The South Korean youth delegation included young civil servants from 15 agencies, both central and local. Choi explained that this visit allows them to directly observe Vietnam's policy systems and development directions in areas such as diplomatic relations, science and technology, digital transformation, culture, and agriculture. The KF will also begin reviewing the establishment of the next cooperation framework. Choi noted, "We are fully aware of the cooperation proposals put forth by the Vietnamese side as we approach the end of the current MOU, and we will continue discussions with the Ministry of Home Affairs after this visit."
Additionally, during the event, officials from Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Science and Technology, and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism provided the South Korean youth delegation with key insights from their respective fields. Both sides sought to explore ways to expand the scope of cooperation based on youth exchanges into more substantial joint research and policy experience sharing.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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