RoK tourism organisation accompanies Vietnam in COVID-19 fight

Park Jong Sun, Chief Representative of KTO in Vietnam, presents gifts to medical staff in Dong Da Hospital in Hanoi (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) has launched the 2021 Korea Love Box, a campaign to support Vietnamese healthcare staff and other frontline forces in the COVID-19 fight with various activities.

With the message 'Give love, give strength', the campaign shows solidarity with Vietnam in the current fight against the pandemic.

The campaign was a result of the talks between leaders of the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Vietnam on October 21 in New York on the sidelines of the 76^th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

RoK President Moon Jae-in has also announced the supply of more than 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam to serve the COVID-19 pandemic fight. On October 13, 1.1 million AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines arrived in Vietnam. This is the northern Asian country's first direct cross-border sharing of its vaccine stockpiles.

The KTO, in collaboration with the Vietnam Red Cross Society and Hope Foundation, has given out 1,000 gifts worth more than VNĐ 1 billion (about 44,000 USD) to six hospitals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Included in the gifts are Korean specialities such as red ginseng, chicken stewed with ginseng, and other traditional souvenirs. 

In Hanoi, the gifts were given to doctors and nurses of Dong Da General Hospital and Thanh Nhan Hospital. In HCM City, they were delivered to the COVID-19 hospitals No. 8 and 13, the HCM City Hospital of Tropical Diseases, and the Hospital of Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine.

As a Korean friend who always accompanies and supports Vietnam, the Korea Love Box campaign has been launched to send sincere thanks and gratitude to medical staff, as well as other frontline workers who strive night and day against the pandemic, said Park Jong Sun, Chief Representative of KTO in Vietnam

KTO representatives present gifts to the COVID-19 hospitals No. 13 (Photo: VietnamPlus)

At the same time, the KTO has also released a music video called 'Way Back Home,' aimed at all Vietnamese people. The song, which was composed and performed by Korean singer Shaun, has become an international hit.

The music video shows the KTO preparing for their Korea Love Box campaign. The KTO hopes the music video will provide hope and support for Vietnam as it is striving to overcome the pandemic.

Several famous Vietnamese singers and musical groups, such as Dong Nhi, Ong Cao Thang, Han Sara, Uni5, and LipB, also feature in the music video. The Vietnamese lyrics were composed by songwriter Chau Dang Khoa.

Through the Korea Love Box campaign, the KTO hopes to encourage the Vietnamese people to look towards the future and the ‘new normal’. The RoK will continue to strive to become the first choice for Vietnamese tourists when the tourism market reopens, said the Chief Representative of the KTO in Vietnam.

Park said that next year will be the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between South Korea and Vietnam. Both the KTO and the RoK government hope that all cultural exchange activities and tourism will resume when the time is right. 

Earlier in September, the Vietnam Office of the Korean Tourism Organisation launched a dance contest with the participation of ITZY, a girl group of the RoK, on the Tiktok video-sharing focused social networking service.

The event will run until September 21, with the total prizes topping 100 million VND (4,400 USD).

The organiser said the event is aimed at bringing joy and positive energy to the public during social distancing in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Vietnam.

KTO Chief Representative in Vietnam Park voiced his hope Vietnam will soon bring COVID-19 under control and that the RoK can welcome Vietnamese tourists in the coming time.

The dance contest has attracted thousands of entries of young people across Vietnam and more than 250 million views on Tiktok.

K-pop sensation ITZY has been working as honorary ambassador of the KTO since 2020. The KTO Vietnam Office is set to arrange various virtual events in this year’s fourth quarter./.