RoK-Vietnam relations to grow further: RoK NA Speaker’s advisor

Granting an interview to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Seoul on the threshold of an official visit to the RoK by National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan from December 4-7, Hahn Choong-hee said that since the bilateral diplomatic ties were set up in 1992, the two countries have witnessed rapid development in their relations, from trade, investment and economics to culture and people-to-people exchanges.

For the RoK, the diplomatic relationship with Vietnam is one of the most important relations in the region at the strategic level, he affirmed, recalling the Vietnam visit by RoK President Moon Jae-in last March as another important milestone in the bilateral ties.

Agreeing with Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Nguyen Vu Tu’s remark on the “family” relationship between Vietnam and the RoK in his recent meeting with the RoK’s NA Speaker Moon Hee-sang, the advisor noted that tens of thousands of Vietnamese people are working and living in the RoK, while many Koreans, including politicians and entrepreneurs, also want to visit Vietnam to seek cooperation and business opportunities.

Hahn Choong-hee suggested both sides continue taking advantage of similarities in their traditions and cultures to develop the strategic cooperation and high-level dialogue, as well as collaborating with each other to invest in a third partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

He proposed intensifying cultural cooperation to bring the two countries’ young generations closer and enhance mutual understanding so as to further foster the bilateral relations.

He also expressed his hope that more and more universities in Vietnam will open Korean-language classes and vice versa.

Regarding the role of the two legislative bodies in strengthening the bilateral ties, the advisor took note of the exchange of many visits recently, notably the Vietnam visit by the RoK top legislator last year and the upcoming visit by the Vietnamese NA Chairwoman.

Many RoK parliamentarians hope to meet and work with Vietnamese NA deputies, politicians, entrepreneurs, and researchers, he stated, suggesting both sides organise visits more regularly to offer chances for the two legislatures to tighten cooperation in issues of shared concern such as sustainable development, climate change response, institution building, and the implementation of millennium development goals.