Seoul (VNA) – President of the National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man and his spouse met with Vietnamese Embassy officials and staff, and representatives of the Vietnamese community in the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Seoul on September 6, as part of his official visit to the country.
NA President Man lauded their efforts to build a united and stable community, contribute to the host country and maintain strong ties with the homeland. He highlighted its increasingly important role in bilateral relations, noting that it is one of the largest Vietnamese communities overseas.
Briefing the participants on Vietnam’s socio-economic development, he said the economy grew by about 8.18% in the first half of 2026, while total import-export turnover reached about 770 billion USD in the first eight months. Social security policies have also been implemented comprehensively to better support disadvantaged groups.
He stressed that Vietnam is continuing efforts to build a clean and strong Party and political system, streamline the organisational apparatus and improve its efficiency, maintain national defence and security, and strengthen external relations and international integration.
The top legislator affirmed that these achievements have been made possible in part by contributions from more than 6 million Vietnamese people abroad, including those in the RoK. He underlined their important role in helping Vietnam achieve its goals of becoming a developing country with upper-middle income by 2030 and a developed, high-income country by 2045.
Regarding Vietnam - RoK relations, NA President Man said bilateral ties have developed strongly across politics, trade, investment, culture, defence and security. The RoK is Vietnam’s largest foreign direct investor, second-largest development cooperation and tourism partner, and third-largest trade partner.
He noted that substantial room remains for collaboration, particularly in high-tech and high-value-added sectors. Korean businesses and conglomerates are showing interest in investment in nuclear power, energy, high-speed rail and large-scale infrastructure projects.
To further enhance the effectiveness of Korean investment, Vietnam should focus on technology transfer, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, intellectual property and high-quality human resources, he said, adding that the two sides should work toward supply chains with deeper participation by Vietnamese enterprises, with Korean partners contributing capital, technology and management expertise while Vietnam leverages its production base, workforce and market.
He also said that technology development, supply chains, markets and the role of the Vietnamese community in the RoK should become key areas of parliamentary diplomacy.
Ambassador Vu Ho stated the 400,000-strong Vietnamese community in the RoK has continued to uphold solidarity and mutual support, preserve national identity, contribute to Vietnam’s nation building and safeguarding cause, and serve as a bridge between the two countries.
Representatives of the community pledged to continue complying with local laws, preserving the image and cultural identity of Vietnamese people, and contributing to the Vietnam-RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The top legislator said Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW on overseas Vietnamese affairs, issued by the Politburo on August 2, provides an important basis for the Government and NA to study and introduce policies supporting Vietnamese communities abroad. He noted that the community’s recommendations will provide valuable input for further policy development.
The NA President called on Vietnamese people in the RoK to continue strengthening solidarity, abiding by local laws, and contributing to the host country and bilateral ties, while preserving the Vietnamese language, national cultural identity and traditions and paying greater attention to educating younger generations./.
