Hanoi (VNA) – Scholars from Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) gathered in Hanoi on May 28 for an international workshop that looked into the two countries' international and diplomatic perspectives in the context of modern East Asia.
The workshop was jointly organised by the Institute of History under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) and the RoK's Northeast Asian History Foundation (NAHF) within the framework of a cooperation memorandum between the two sides.
Addressing the event, VASS President Prof. Dr. Le Van Loi said Vietnam – RoK relations, established in 1992, have developed strongly across multiple areas, including the economy, trade, investment, education, culture, science – technology and people-to-people exchanges.
He highlighted that during talks between Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and RoK President Lee Jae Myung in April 2026, the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in science – technology, innovation and digital transformation, considering them important drivers for bilateral cooperation and national development goals of each country.
Loi expressed his belief that the participation of leading scholars and experts from both countries would bring fresh perspectives and valuable analyses on international and diplomatic issues in modern East Asia from historical, theoretical and practical viewpoints.
Assoc. Prof. and Dr Vo Xuan Vinh said Vietnam’s accession to ASEAN in 1995 marked an important milestone in the country’s international integration process.
From adapting to the bipolar world structure and overcoming embargoes and isolation, Vietnam has gradually integrated more deeply into the region and the wider world, while increasingly enhancing its role in shaping multilateral institutions and the international political – economic order, he said.
According to Vinh, ASEAN has served not only as an important regional cooperation framework but also as a bridge helping Vietnam expand external relations and promote economic integration into the world.
Discussing future cooperation prospects, Dr Nguyen Thi Tham said that within the framework of the Vietnam – RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Vietnam should further deepen the quality and long-term strategic dimension of bilateral ties amid rapid regional and global changes.
She also stressed the need for Vietnam to make use of cooperation opportunities arising from the RoK’s foreign policy, particularly in semiconductor technology, artificial intelligence (AI), supply chains, digital transformation, and green energy, as well as chances in multilateral diplomacy.
At the workshop, participants focused discussions on theoretical and practical issues related to Vietnamese and RoK diplomacy, while sharing academic experiences and proposing measures to strengthen bilateral research cooperation./.
