The relationship between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) is expected to be brought to a new height in the future as the two countries reached strategic cooperative partnership level.

RoK Ambassador to Vietnam Ha Chan-ho expressed the wish at a press conference in Hanoi on June 8 on the development cooperation between the two countries and RoK businesses’ operations in Vietnam .

Vietnam and the RoK set up diplomatic ties 19 years ago and the two countries are preparing activities to celebrate the 20 th anniversary of their relations in 2012, he said.

Regarding the RoK’s ODA provision for Vietnam , the ambassador said that by 2010, the RoK had been Vietnam ’s second-largest ODA provider, with an approved capital of 1.255 billion USD.

In 2011, the RoK plans to provide 215 million USD for projects in Vietnam , including health equipment for the Da Nang Hospital , a solar energy power plant in Quang Binh province, the Government’s e-data information centre and a water supply and drainage project in Long Xuyen city, An Giang province.

In the past, RoK businesses’ operations have always provided social benefits in fields such as health, education and employment, he said, adding that in 2010 only, RoK companies organised 32 social charity activities despite economic difficulties.

On the occasion, the RoK Embassy in Vietnam presented 141 million VND collected from the RoK Cuisine Festival in October last year, to assist children in difficult circumstances./.