At the invitation of President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Lee Jae Myung and his spouse, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam To Lam and his spouse, along with a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, are paying a state visit to the RoK from August 10 to 13.

The visit takes place amid a global and regional context marked by complex and unpredictable developments, with long-term impacts on the security and development environment of nations. The Asia–Pacific and Indian Ocean regions remain dynamically developing, continuing to serve as engines of global growth and focal points of major power competition.

Meanwhile, the situation in the RoK is gradually stabilising. President Lee Jae Myung has made timely adjustments to stabilise the economy and society, and to strengthen domestic unity. In foreign affairs, President Lee Jae Myung has affirmed his pursuit of a foreign policy centred on national interests, grounded in the RoK – US alliance, while promoting cooperation with Japan, maintaining good relations with ASEAN, and enhancing the RoK’s global image.

Stage for strong development of bilateral relations

The Viet Nam - RoK relationship is currently experiencing its most vibrant period to date, especially after the two countries officially upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in December 2022, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties - a historic milestone in the history of bilateral relations. President Lee Jae Myung has affirmed that he places special importance on the Viet Nam - RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership within the overall framework of the RoK’s relations with Asian countries. General Secretary To Lam's state visit to the RoK takes place in that special context.

The comprehensive strategic partnership that the two countries established in 2022 represents the highest trust between nations. After more than 30 years of progress, the relationship is at a pivotal point where strategic steps must deepen and advance it, both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Political trust between the two countries has been increasingly consolidated through the strong promotion of visits, exchanges, and engagements between their senior leaders, as well as the strengthening and deepening of cooperation across all channels – Government, National Assembly, political Parties, and social class organisations.

Sustainable cooperation in the new era

Economic and trade cooperation has been a highlight in bilateral relations. The RoK is Viet Nam’s largest investor, with total registered capital of 94 billion USD across 10,203 projects, accounting for 23.5% of the total number of projects and 18.1% of the total registered foreign direct investment capital in Viet Nam (as of May 2025). It ranks second in development cooperation, with commitments of 4 billion USD as of 2023, and third in trade, with 81.5 billion USD recorded in 2024.

The two sides are actively implementing the components of the Action Plan to achieve the target of 150 billion USD in bilateral trade by 2030, in a more balanced manner, as agreed in April 2025. Viet Nam currently invests in 112 projects in the RoK with a total capital of 37.4 million USD.

On development cooperation, the RoK's leadership continues to regard Viet Nam as a top strategic partner in this field, affirming its commitment to close coordination to effectively implement bilateral development cooperation projects worth 200 million USD for the 2024–2027 period. It will also support the second phase of the Viet Nam– RoK Institute of Science and Technology Project and promote loans totalling 4 billion USD for the 2023–2030 period, focusing on strategic transport, energy, digital, and climate-resilient infrastructure.

In science and technology, the two sides held the 9th Ministerial-level meeting of the Viet Nam–RoK Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation, reaching agreement on joint research in six areas: information technology, biotechnology, climate technology, nanotechnology, digital transformation, and new/renewable energy.

The Ministry of Science and Technology of Viet Nam, in coordination with the RoK’s Ministry of Science and ICT and Ministry of SMEs and Startups, has implemented several projects and memoranda of understanding to help Viet Nam assess its current science and technology landscape and develop appropriate policies. They have also worked to connect the two countries’ innovative start-up ecosystems, and successfully co-hosted the Viet Nam – RoK Digital Transformation Forum 2024.

Cooperation in education, culture, sports and tourism has also yielded many achievements. The RoK continues to support Viet Nam in finalising teaching materials and providing additional Korean language teachers. The two sides are working together to implement the Memorandum of Understanding on cultural cooperation for the 2023–2025 period. The RoK remains one of the largest source markets for tourists to Viet Nam. In 2024, there were 4.6 million arrivals from the RoK to Viet Nam and in the first five months of 2025, the number stood at 1.9 million. The two countries regularly cooperate in organising events to promote each other’s culture and tourism.

Alongside the remarkable progress in bilateral relations, people-to-people exchanges and cultural interaction are also expanding and deepening. Multicultural families are increasingly serving as a bridge between the peoples of the two countries. Regarding local cooperation, around 100 pairs of local-level partnerships have been established between the two nations.

In the context of global and regional developments, Viet Nam and the RoK are entering a new stage of growth. The State visit to the RoK by General Secretary To Lam comes at an opportune time for leaders of both sides to jointly send a message of their determination to cooperate closely and comprehensively for peace, stability and sustainable development. This State visit by General Secretary To Lam carries special significance, making an important contribution to further strengthening political trust between the two countries while opening a new chapter in Viet Nam–RoK relations.