Vietnam's National Assembly Chairman Visits South Korea and Mongolia

Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man, accompanied by his wife, has departed from Hanoi for official visits to South Korea and Mongolia. The visits are scheduled from September 6-11, following invitations from Chairman of the National Assembly of South Korea Cho Jeong-sik and Chairman of the National Assembly of Mongolia Sandag Byambatsogt, along with their spouses. The delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung; Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh; Secretary General of the National Assembly and Director of the Office of the National Assembly Le Quang Manh; Chairman of the Committee for Defense and Security Le Tan Toi; Chairman of the Committee for Science, Technology and Environment, and many other officials, according to TTXVN. These visits underscore Vietnam's commitment to and desire to further develop the Vietnam-South Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the Vietnam-Mongolia Comprehensive Partnership in a more substantive, effective, and long-term sustainable manner. The visits by the National Assembly Chairman also highlight the significant role of parliamentary diplomacy within Vietnam's overall foreign relations with South Korea and Mongolia. Vietnam and South Korea established diplomatic relations on December 22, 1992, and elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in December 2022. Cooperation between the legislative bodies of Vietnam and South Korea has developed robustly, achieving many new milestones that significantly deepen bilateral ties. South Korea is currently Vietnam's second-largest investor, second-largest source of tourists, second-largest provider of ODA, third-largest trading partner, and third-largest labor market. By the end of 2025, approximately 352,000 Vietnamese are expected to reside in South Korea, including over 100,000 students and 100,000 workers, alongside around 100,000 multicultural Vietnamese-Korean families. Conversely, about 200,000 South Koreans live and conduct business in Vietnam, with approximately 10,000 South Korean enterprises operating in the country. Vietnam and Mongolia share a long-standing traditional friendship, having established diplomatic relations on November 17, 1954, and consistently supporting each other. Mongolia considers Vietnam a key comprehensive partner in Southeast Asia. The "Vietnam-Mongolia Comprehensive Partnership" was established during the state visit of General Secretary and President To Lam to Mongolia in September 2024. Cooperation between the two parliaments continues to be maintained, with exchanges of delegations and legislative engagements being promoted. Both sides have signed a cooperation agreement between their respective national assemblies and agreed to enhance collaboration. Bilateral trade between Vietnam and Mongolia is projected to exceed $155 million in 2025, with Vietnamese exports surpassing $100 million. Several Vietnamese businesses are undertaking large-scale investment projects in Mongolia, particularly in the energy sector. The Vietnamese community in Mongolia numbers around 1,000 people, primarily engaged in investments and operations within the paint and automotive body sectors, as well as trade and tourism services.