Vietnam Party Chief To Lam Begins Major State Visit South Korea

Vietnam's Party General Secretary To Lam is undertaking a state visit to South Korea from August 10 to 13, marking his first trip in the new position and the first visit by a foreign official under President Lee Jae Myung's administration. The visit aims to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and South Korea, focusing on expanding cooperation in areas such as national infrastructure, science and technology, human resource development, trade, and investment, with a goal to raise bilateral trade turnover to $150 billion by 2030. South Korea is Vietnam's largest foreign investor and a key economic partner, with bilateral trade reaching $81.5 billion in 2024 and robust people-to-people exchanges, including millions of mutual visits and a large Vietnamese diaspora in Korea. Both countries maintain strong political ties and active cooperation mechanisms, including economic dialogues and agreements on labor exports under South Korea’s Employment Permit System, which supports a sizable Vietnamese workforce in Korea. President Lee emphasized the visit as evidence of his administration’s commitment to future-oriented, mutually beneficial relations, reflecting a deep friendship beyond economic statistics. The visit also underscores Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, and proactive international integration amid complex regional and global dynamics.