Hanoi (VNA) – General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and State President To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly presided over an official welcome ceremony in Hanoi on April 22 for President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Lee Jae Myung and his spouse Kim Hae Kyung, who are on a state visit to Vietnam.
The ceremony took place at the Presidential Palace with the attendance of senior officials from central agencies, ministries, and Hanoi authorities.
The ceremony featured the national anthems of both countries and a 21-gun salute fired from the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. The two leaders then reviewed the honour guard of the Vietnam People’s Army and introduced members of their respective high-level delegations.
Following the welcome ceremony, the two leaders held talks, witnessed the signing of cooperation documents, and met with the press.
Vietnam and the RoK established diplomatic relations on December 22, 1992. Over more than three decades, bilateral ties have developed into a model partnership globally. Since the upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in December 2022, the two countries’ political trust has continued to be strengthened, with close coordination maintained across Party, Government, and National Assembly channels, alongside frequent high-level exchanges.
Economic and trade cooperation remains a key pillar of the relationship. The RoK is currently Vietnam’s largest foreign investor, second-largest source of tourists and second biggest provider of ODA, and its third-largest trading partner and labour export market.
The state visit by President Lee Jae Myung from April 21 to 24 takes place at a time when Vietnam–RoK relations are at their strongest ever, and is expected to open up a new phase of development with long-term strategic orientations for bilateral cooperation./.
