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LEADERS

A PARTNERSHIP lighted the important achievements the
two countries have posted in bilateral and
BOUND BY TRUST multilateral fields over the past 30 years,
noting they have become strategic coop-
erative partners with an increasingly deep
Vietnam - Republic of Korea (RoK) relations have developed in leaps level of mutual trust and understanding,
and bounds over the past three decades and become typical of a and have continually expanded cooperation.
bilateral partnership based on mutual trust. President-elect Yoon, for his part, affirmed
that the RoK attaches importance to its
relationship with Vietnam, which, he said,
QUOC UY Reports
is at its best point ever, adding that his
country will continue to encourage its busi-
ietnam and the Republic of Korea have made a great deal of progress in all nesses to invest in or expand operations in
(RoK) officially established diplo- fields, especially political and economic. Vietnam in the future, especially in spearhead
V matic relations on December 22, Political trust has become the core of the industries, and to assist Vietnam in per-
1992. A host of activities are taking place in partnership, while economic ties are a strong forming its role as the coordinator of RoK-
both countries this year to mark the 30th pillar supporting relations in all facets. ASEAN relations in the 2021-2024 period.
anniversary of relations, which have gone The two have sincerely and strongly The two leaders reached an agreement
from strength to strength since establishment. supported each other at bilateral and mul- that both sides will work together on imple-
Prior to that time, few could have imag- tilateral forums regionally and globally. menting measures to lift bilateral trade to
ined the relationship the two countries The RoK currently ranks top among $100 billion by 2023 and $150 billion by
enjoy today, as they once stood on opposite 139 countries and territories investing in 2030, and effectively implement existing
sides during the war in Vietnam that lasted Vietnam, with 9,265 projects in operation trade agreements such as the Vietnam -
more than two decades, from 1954 to 1975. worth $78.6 billion, or 18.5 per cent of the RoK Free Trade Agreement (VKFTA) and
After the war, it took the two some 17 total. It is also Vietnam’s third-largest the Regional Comprehensive Economic
years to bridge their differences. Finally, trade partner, with two-way trade turnover Partnership (RCEP), to which both Viet-
they agreed to overcome their difficult shared standing at $78.1 billion in 2021. nam and the RoK are signatories.
past and find a path towards a better future RoK investors have made remarkable The fine relations between Vietnam
on the basis of respecting each other’s inde- contributions to Vietnam’s socio-economic and the RoK can be viewed as a model of
pendence, sovereignty, and political system. development since first arriving in the trust between two countries characterized
Despite differing from each other in terms country. The Samsung Group alone has, by different political ideologies.
of political system, the two have a familiarity for instance, contributed, on average, about Without trust, there could be no such
in terms of culture and history that enables 25 per cent of Vietnam’s total annual export partnership.
them to easily understand each other and value for many years. It is expected that the strategic partner-
feel the emotional status of each other. During phone talks with RoK Presi- ship will be upgraded to a higher level by
Thanks to their substantial joint efforts, dent-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on March 23, the end of this year, when the two officially
relations between Vietnam and the RoK State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc high- celebrate the 30th anniversary of ties. %

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