Tung wrote in an online commentary published Monday (local time) by Viet Nam News that the trip is significant because it is the first visit by a foreign head of state since Vietnam reshuffled its party and government leadership. He said it shows “South Korea fully supports Vietnam’s major political agenda, the new leadership and its future socio-economic development direction.”
He said sustained top-level exchanges have strengthened political trust and the foundation for cooperation. He cited a series of high-level visits last year, including a trip to South Korea in August by Party General Secretary To Lam, a visit by former President Luong Cuong tied to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders meeting in November, and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik’s visit to Vietnam that same month.
Tung also highlighted economic ties, saying South Korea is Vietnam’s largest source of foreign direct investment, its second-largest tourism market and a provider of official development assistance. He said South Korea is also Vietnam’s third-largest trading partner and an overseas labor market for Vietnamese workers.
He said defense and security cooperation is expanding into areas such as the defense industry and capacity building, while people-to-people exchanges are rising quickly through tourism, study abroad and labor cooperation. As of 2025, he wrote, South Korea accounted for the second-largest share of foreign visitors to Vietnam, with 4.3 million people, or 21% of the total.
Looking ahead, Tung said cooperation in advanced sectors is likely to become a central pillar of the relationship. “Expectations for expanded cooperation in emerging areas such as energy, science and technology, semiconductors, digital transformation and artificial intelligence are higher than ever,” he wrote, adding that these areas are forming an important axis alongside existing cooperation.
He also said the two countries should coordinate more closely amid fast-changing international conditions, including global tensions, conflicts and growing nontraditional security threats.
Tung, who said he was directly involved in 2022 when Korea-Vietnam diplomatic ties were elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership, expressed strong interest in further deepening the relationship. “Deepening and upgrading the Vietnam-Korea comprehensive strategic partnership is also an opportunity for both countries to contribute to regional peace, cooperation and prosperity,” he wrote, adding that the relationship has been built on an increasingly solid foundation over time.
He said he expects agreements reached during the visit to raise cooperation another step and deliver tangible benefits to companies and citizens. He said the relationship has been shaped by “close links of mutual interests, stronger institutional cooperation mechanisms, deeper trust at the highest level, cultural similarities and mutual goodwill between the two peoples,” and voiced hope for a successful state visit.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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