Seoul (VNA) – Major media outlets of the Republic of Korea (RoK) have spotlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s meetings with RoK President, Prime Minister, and National Assembly Speaker on July 2, and highlighted the potential of bilateral cooperation in many aspects.
PM Chinh has had a busy schedule with more than 30 activities during his official visit to the RoK from June 30 to July 3, more than half of which focus on the economic field.
Reporting on PM Chinh’s working session with RoK President Yoon Suk Yeol, Chosun TV said that the RoK President affirmed that his country considers Vietnam a leading partner in the efforts to implement the Indo-Pacific Strategy and the Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative.
For his part, PM Chinh said that Vietnam supports Yoon’s plans for peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula, it said, stating that the two sides agreed to further strengthen contacts and strategic cooperation for peace and stability in the region. The meeting mostly focused on economic issues, Chosun TV noted, adding that Yoon asked for Vietnam’s support to Korean companies to engage in energy, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and key mineral processing areas to contribute to Vietnam's energy transition efforts.
PM Chinh lauded RoK firms’ contributions to Vietnam's economic development, affirming that Vietnam has been striving to improve regulations to support investors and attract Korean companies, it said.
Meanwhile, Yonhap News Agency said that in the meeting with the Vietnamese Government leader on July 2, Korean PM Han Duck Soo expressed his hope for measures to further bolster cooperation between the two countries bilaterally and multilaterally.
Meil Kyongjae newspaper quoted PM Chinh as speaking at a meeting with Samsung Executive Chairman Lee Jae Yong that Vietnam will always support Samsung in effectively and successfully conducting investment activities in Vietnam. It noted that PM Chinh plans to visit the semiconductor factory of Samsung Electronics Pyeongtaek on July 3.
Covering the Vietnamese leader’s meeting with Speaker of the RoK’s National Assembly Woo Won Sik, Donga Ilbo newspaper said that the meeting agenda focused on measures to expand bilateral collaboration in many areas, including trade, investment, taxation, economic security, and supply chain cooperation.
Woo asked Vietnam to consider smoothly resolving the issue of applying the global minimum tax rate and amending the value-added tax regulations to support Korean businesses.
PM Chinh said that Vietnam has prepared regulations on a system to support foreign investors in applying the global minimum tax rate and is considering establishing appropriate systems related to amending the Law Value Added Tax, the journal noted.
On July 2, PM Chinh also met with leaders of Korean small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to discuss current issues and economic cooperation plans for SMEs of the two countries.
Donga Ilbo quoted Korea Federation of SMEs (KBIZ) Chairman Kim Ki-moon as saying that 88% of the Korean firms operating in Vietnam are SMEs. PM Chinh welcomed and called on Korean SMEs to strengthen investment in Vietnam, pledging that Vietnam will actively support them.
Asia Kyeongjae newspaper boldly featured information about cooperation between the RoK and Vietnam in building a startup ecosystem. It said that the RoK’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) on July 2 announced the signing of two memoranda of understanding with Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment and Ministry of Science and Technology on cooperation in development and exchange of startup ecosystems./.
