Vietnam-South Korea People-to-People Ties Boosted, Connecting Vietnamese Business, Expert, and Intellectual Communities in South Korea

A delegation from the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front paid a working visit to South Korea from July 19-21, aiming to boost people-to-people exchanges and strengthen connections with the Vietnamese business, expert, and intellectual communities in South Korea. This visit served to promote the role of people-to-people diplomacy in deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations. During the visit, the delegation held working sessions with the Vietnam-Korea Business and Investment Association (VKBIA) and the Vietnam-Korea Experts and Intellectuals Association (VKEIA). Dr. Tran Hai Linh, Chairman of VKBIA, reported on the association's formation and development, highlighting its achievements in connecting investment, trade, science-technology, innovation, local cooperation, and leveraging the resources of Vietnamese and Korean businessmen and intellectuals. VKBIA has actively implemented numerous cooperation programs with ministries, sectors, and localities of both Vietnam and South Korea, promoting investment, business linkages, technology transfer, human resource training, and people-to-people exchanges. These efforts have contributed to the increasingly substantive and effective development of Vietnam-South Korea economic cooperation. Hoang Cong Thuy, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, highly appreciated the results achieved by VKBIA, particularly its role in connecting the business community, local authorities, organizations, and people of both countries. He emphasized that as the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and South Korea develops strongly in all fields, social organizations, business associations, and overseas Vietnamese communities play an extremely important role in effectively implementing the Party and State's foreign policy and consolidating the foundation of friendly relations between the peoples of the two nations. Vice Chairman Thuy acknowledged that VKBIA is one of the organizations with many practical and creative activities in connecting investment, trade, technology transfer, local cooperation, cultural exchange, and supporting the Vietnamese-Korean business community. He also noted VKBIA's contributions towards the homeland, such as supporting flood victims, those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and activities related to the nation's islands. Furthermore, VKBIA's programs have helped promote Vietnam's image, boost economic-investment-trade, cultural, educational, and scientific-technological cooperation, while strengthening the solidarity and enhancing the position of the Vietnamese community in South Korea. Vice Chairman Thuy urged VKBIA to continue leveraging its role as a strategic bridge between businesses, central agencies, ministries, sectors, and localities, and the people of both countries. He encouraged active participation in implementing the Party's major policies and resolutions on private economic development, science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation. He also called for expanding the network connecting Vietnamese businessmen, intellectuals, experts, and youth in South Korea to effectively mobilize overseas Vietnamese resources for national construction and development. During their stay, the delegation visited Songdo International City in Incheon, a prominent smart city model in South Korea, learning about modern urban planning and management, digital economy development, digital transformation, free economic zone development, and building innovation ecosystems. They also surveyed local cultural and economic institutions to exchange experiences on sustainable development and improving urban governance quality, as well as social supervision and phản biện (critical feedback). On this occasion, the delegation also held talks with the South Korea's Economic, Social and Labor Council (ESLC). Both sides highly valued the cooperation results achieved so far, especially in exchanging experiences on social dialogue, policy consultation, and the role of representative organizations in building social consensus and sustainable development. During the talks, both sides proposed areas for cooperation and a roadmap for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Vietnam in early 2027. They agreed that signing the MOU would reaffirm the commitment of both organizations to elevate practical cooperation and contribute to consolidating the friendly relations between Vietnam and South Korea, while promoting the participation of social organizations in the sustainable development process of each nation. Source: Nhan Dan