Vietnam has appointed Chairman of Hoban Construction Ltd. Kim Sang-yeol as its Honorary Consul General in Gwangju - Chonnam area.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (RoK) Pham Huu Chi handed over the decision and congratulated Kim Sang-yeol on the appointment at a ceremony held on January 30 in the capital Gwangju city of South Jeolla province.

He said the move is significant to Vietnam-RoK strategic cooperative partnership, especially the Gwangju – Chonnam area where about 10,000 Vietnamese are working and studying and a large number of Korean enterprises are doing business in Vietnam.

On the occasion, Vietnam’s Honorary Consulate General office was inaugurated, located inside the KBC TV Station Building in the centre of Gwangju City.

The Ambassador expressed his belief that the office and the Honorary Consul General will help further boost cooperation between the two countries as well as providing support for the Vietnamese community in the area.

On his part, Kim thanked the Vietnamese Government and people for entrusting him with the noble duty and pledged to make every effort to tighten the bilateral ties.

Located 300 kilometres away from Seoul in the Southwest, Gwangju city and Chonnam province are famous for their beautiful landscapes and mild climate alongside the traditional ceramic production.

It hosted a series of calligraphy exhibition featuring excerpts from late President Ho Chi Minh’s Prison Diary and the 2014 Vietnam Culture Week in the RoK.-VNA