Vietnamese Party chief To Lam begins state visit to South Korea

The trip was made at the invitation of President of South Korea Lee Jae Myung and his spouse.

Vietnam's Party chief To Lam, his spouse, and the Vietnamese delegation were welcomed by South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun, Ambassador to Vietnam Choi Young Sam and his wife, along with Vietnamese Ambassador to South Korea Vu Ho, staff at the Vietnamese Embassy in South Korea, and members of the Vietnamese community in South Korea.

The Vietnam News Agency reported that South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun welcomed Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse at the foot of the aircraft stairs.

Party General Secretary Lam and his spouse walked on the red carpet past South Korea's honor guard, greeting South Korean officials, embassy staff, and members of the Vietnamese community in South Korea amid a warm and enthusiastic welcome.

This visit represents the first state visit to the East Asian nation by Vietnam’s Party leader To Lam in his current role, and he is notably the first foreign guest officially hosted by President Lee Jae Myung.

Therefore, the visit is expected to usher in a new phase of cooperation that is more substantive and effective in advancing the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and South Korea.

South Korea is currently Vietnam's largest investor, second-largest provider of official development assistance, and third-biggest trading partner with two-way trade reaching US$81.5 billion in 2024, reflecting a 7.3-percent increase over the previous year.

The two countries’ cooperation in culture, education, labor, tourism, and other fields has achieved significant results, with continuous progress both in scale and quality.

Notably, science, technology, and innovation are expected to become new pillars of the bilateral relationship.

During his four-day visit to South Korea, Party General Secretary To Lam is scheduled to hold talks with President Lee Jae Myung, meet with other South Korean leaders, and take part in several important activities.