The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has freshly appointed the rookie boy group BLANK2Y as the honorary ambassador of the Republic of Korea’s tourism in Vietnam this year.

The multinational boy band debuted under the RoK-based Keystone Entertainment on May 24 this year, consists of 9 members aged between 18-24 from the RoK, China, and Japan. It is active in the RoK and around the world.

With a strong spread of the Korean wave "Hallyu", KTO hopes to promote tourism via the image of the new ambassador, especially to fans of Korean music in Vietnam.

BLANK2Y will assume their role in Vietnam for one year from July 9, 2022 to July 8, 2023. During this time, the group is set to accompany KTO in many tourism promotion activities through K-pop. A highlight in their tenure is to perform at the Korean Days in Hanoi, the biggest promotion event scheduled to take place in Vietnam’s capital in November.

Expressing the band’s honour to assume the post, a representative from BLANK2Y said with music, BLANK2Y will make efforts to share the beauty of their home country to Vietnamese people, beef up tourism between the two countries, and tighten the Vietnam – RoK friendship.

Lee Jae Hoon, chief representative of KTO in Vietnam, said in Vietnam there is great interest in K-pop as well as the Korean culture. Therefore, in the coming time, together with BLANK2Y, the KTO plans to actively promote tourism through "Hallyu" targeting young people, he added.

Serving the recovery of the RoK’s post-pandemic tourism recovery, KTO implemented a series of activities in Vietnam in the first half of this year, such as a programme to welcome visitors back to Korea in association with the slogan "Travel to Korea Begins Again", and the MICE Roadshow 2022. It is expected to launch a Korean promotion campaign namely "Hi Korea" on the Tiktok platform to rekindle Korean tourism inspiration in Vietnamese youth.

Awards launched to honour deeds for sake of livable Hanoi

The “For a Livable Hanoi” awards were launched on July 9 with a view to honouring the deeds that contribute to the capital city’s development in different aspects.

The awards, launched by the “Livable Hanoi” network, consist of three main categories, namely culture - arts, environment - urban space, and integration.

The Culture - Arts category aims to honour the cultural and artistic works, programmes and projects helping improve city dwellers’ spiritual life.

In the category of Environment - Urban space, the awards will honour the activities and projects helping better the environment, expand and upgrade urban space, and improve people’s living quality.

Meanwhile, the Integration category focuses on the activities and projects that assist vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, or activities promoting mutual understanding, non-discrimination and respect for diversity and equality so as to help build up a humanistic urban culture.

In particular, the awards also reserve a category for the persons with outstanding contributions to cultural, social and environmental aspects.

“Livable Hanoi” is a network of people sharing the love for Hanoi and wishing to carry out community activities to turn Hanoi into a more livable city.

Le Quang Binh, coordinator of the network, said there are a large number of organisations and individuals silently dedicating to the city in different areas, and the popularisation of their deeds will help encourage actions for the sake of Hanoi.

The awards ceremony will be organised on the occasion of the Capital Liberation Day (October 10) every year, he added.

COVID-19: national caseload rises to 10,754,813 on July 10

The national caseload of COVID-19 reached 10,754,813 on July 10, according to the Ministry of Health.

A total 8,477 COVID-19 patients were given the all clear on the day, bringing the number of recoveries so far to 9,764,864. There are 17 patients in serious conditions needing breathing support.

No death from COVID-19 was recorded in the past 24 hours. The total fatalities stood to 43,089.

On July 9, 371,697 doses of vaccines were administered, raising the total number of doses of COVID-19 vaccines injected to 235,551,915.

Quang Binh’s national park receives three rare impressed tortoises

The Wildlife Rescue and Protection Centre at the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park in the central province of Quang Binh on July 9 received three rare impressed tortoises (Manouria impressa), an endangered species needing to be protected.

The animals were voluntarily handed over to the forest protection department of local Tuyen Hoa district by a resident in Dong Le township. They are all healthy, having golden brown shell and skin and weighing above 7kg in total.

Manouria impressa is native to mountainous forest areas in Southeast Asia, including in Vietnam. Usually living on land in crevices and valleys, they are listed in the Red Book of Vietnam, considered a rare and endangered forest animal that need to be protected.

At the park, they will be care for and monitored before being released back to the wild.

Binh Dinh university partners with Japanese group in human resource training

Quang Trung University, based in Quy Nhon city of central Binh Dinh province, has signed a cooperation programme on human resource training with the Japan - Vietnam MCHR Consultant Co. Ltd (JVMCHR), the only representative in Vietnam of Japan’s Aoyama Medical Group.

The programme focuses on training in the Japanese language and occupational skills for Vietnamese students and labourers who plan to work in the Northeast Asian country.

It will create opportunities for students of Quang Trung University and its partner schools in Binh Dinh and nearby provinces to learn the Japanese language and study in Japan free of charge, Rector of Quang Trung University Nguyen Dinh Phu said at the signing ceremony on July 9, expressing his hope that his school’s relations with the JVMCHR will continue growing.

JVMCHR Deputy Director Asaga Hiroshi said in this programme, the company will provide a free programme worth 3,600 USD for the university’s students who major in nursing and wish to study and work in Japan. The programme will help reduce expenses they have to cover when learning there.

Also on July 9, Quang Trung University opened a free Japanese language class for about 200 students of the university and some high schools in Binh Dinh, Phu Yen and Gia Lai provinces. Organised in both offline and online formats, the class is part of the university’s cooperation programme with the JVMCHR.

Online exhibition treats visitor to tours around Indochina

An online exhibition featuring Indochina as a wonderland has been launched by the National Archives Centre No.1.

The exhibition, opened on July 9, consists of three sections highlighting the wonder in the land, its beaches, and mountains.

On display are images and documents on famous tourist attractions built by the French in three Indochinese countries - Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia - since the 19th century, namely Sa Pa, Tam Dao, Ba Vi in northern Vietnam; Ba Na, Bach Ma, Da Lat in central Vietnam; Bockor in Cambodia; and Parksong in Laos.

The exhibition takes visitors on a virtual train departing from the Hanoi station, going back in time to discover seemingly familiar landmarks. Its carriages represent the countries of Indochina, showcasing archives of their typical wonders through attractive introductions.

Visitors can join the ongoing event at the site https://archives.org.vn/Tourdongduong/, or on the fanpage of the National Archives Centre No.1 at https://facebook.com/luutruquocgia1.

Car mosaic in Hai Phong breaks world record

About 1,850 cars formed a map of Vietnam in northern Hai Phong city on July 9, breaking the current world record of 750 cars.

The event was organised at the Doi Rong international tourism site in Do Son district by Vinfast and OTV Media after two years of preparation.

It began on July 8 and completed on July 9 afternoon, forming a map of Vietnam with about 1,850 cars. Meanwhile, the current Guinness world record of 750 cars was set in China, and it took five days to form that mosaic.

At the end of the event, drivers and thousands of spectators held a flag salute ceremony.

Many other activities also took place besides this programme such as drifting by professional drivers, 3D lighting performances at sea, test driving e-vehicles of VinFast, a car race, and a gala dinner.

With more than 3,000 participants, the car mosaic forming programme was believed to have greatly helped popularise Do Son and Vietnam at large as an attractive destination, especially for caravan tours when Vietnamese people have made many transcontinental car tours but few international tourists have come to explore the country via this form of travel.

NA Standing Committee to convene 13th session on July 11

The National Assembly Standing Committee will hold its 13th session on July 11 and 12.  

According to the NA Office, the committee is scheduled to consider and vote on a draft resolution on the functions, tasks, power and organisational structure of the NA’s Committee for Deputies’ Eligibility.

Socio-economic issues to be considered at the session include the change of purpose of land use for forests, forest land and rice land with at least two crops a year for implementing the project on the North-South highway in the 2021-2025 period.

The committee will also give opinions on a report on the construction progress of the Truong Son Dong road.

A report on ombudsman work in May and June 2022 and a draft resolution of the NA Standing Committee on the supervision of legal documents issued by NA agencies will be tabled for consideration.

The NA Standing Committee also plans to sum up the third session of the 15th NA and start preparations for the NA’s fourth session.

Ministry works to create modern national digital infrastructure

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) will exert efforts to create a modern and safe national digital infrastructure, and a new space for digital economic growth, and developing e-government towards the building of a digital government.

The goal is set in the ministry’s action plan for the implementation of the National Strategy on the fourth Industrial Revolution by 2030.

Under the plan, by 2025, Vietnam's e-government index according to the United Nations' ranking will be in the group of four leading countries in Southeast Asia. Vietnam will rank among the top 40 countries in terms of the Global Cybersecurity Index of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The proportion of the digital economy will reach 20% of GDP, and the proportion of the digital economy in each industry or field will reach at least 10%. By the year, over 50% of the population will have at least one electronic payment account, and the country will deploy 5G services in at least three smart cities in three key northern, central and southern economic regions.

By 2030, Vietnam will complete the building of a digital government. It will enter Top 30 countries in the world in terms of the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index and the proportion of the digital economy will reach 30% of GDP.

To that end, the ministry will focus on improving institutional quality and policy-making capacity, developing database building, exploitation and connection infrastructure, developing human resources, building e-government towards digital government, investing in research and development of priority technologies, expanding international cooperation and integration in science and intensify disseminations to raise awareness and responsibilities on cybersecurity.

Sports not outsider in digital transformation process

Over the past years, many areas have been making changes to keep up with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and sports are not an exception.

In June 2020, the Prime Minister approved the national digital transformation programme by 2025 with a vision to 2030, aiming to turn Vietnam into a digital country.

The National Sports Administration under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been taking steps to help achieve the goal under this programme.

The administration said it has set up a data integration centre and developed software for common use such as a management information system, an email system, a software for managing athlete database, and a software for managing the database of athletes’ performance results.

The administration has also paid attention to IT personnel so as to boost IT application and infrastructure development, it noted.

In recent years, sports fans have become more familiar with tournaments applying high technology, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. Many large virtual running, walking or cycling races with the support of advanced equipment have been organised.

At the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) held in Vietnam in May, new technologies were applied to some sports. For example, electronic starting blocks, electronic score boards and even the video assistance referee (VAR) technology replaced traditional equipment in track and field events.

For shooting events, athletes competed at a completely new arena where electronic targets and devices were used instead of paper targets and manual scoring.

E-sports may be the clearest demonstration of sports development on digital platforms. Playing e-sports has gradually become popular in Vietnam over the past years, but it was not until the sport was included in major and professional tournaments like SEA Games that it won people’s recognition.

Do Viet Hung, Secretary General of the Vietnam Recreational and Electronic Sport Association (VIRESA), said the association had worked closely with domestic game distributors and other partners to make thorough and all-round preparations for e-sports competitions at SEA Games 31.

At the Games, there were eight e-sports categories with 10 events held continually in 10 days, attracting the participation of 485 athletes and coaches, along with over 120 assistants from 10 regional countries. Nearly 900 people, including technical officials and international and national referees, engaged in the organisation of e-sports competitions.

France, Germany to help Vietnamese court system with personnel training

Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court Nguyen Hoa Binh has suggested the French Court of Cassation make judges and experts involved in online training sessions for Vietnamese judges.

At a recent talk with first president of the French court Christophe Soulard, Binh briefed his host on Vietnam’s judicial reform strategy by 2030 with a vision towards 2045, with priorities given to organisational reform, juvenile justice and personnel training.

Binh also invited the French official to visit Vietnam in 2023 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

For his part, Soulard reviewed the implementation of the memorandum of understanding on cooperation in 2013, and the cooperation programme for the 2020-2022 period.

The first president expressed his hope that the two sides will step up collaboration in the time ahead through the exchange of judges at national, regional and international levels.

While in France from July 4-9, Binh also had a meeting with French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti who emphasised that Vietnam is France’s leading partner in the region.

The French side wished to provide technical assistance in the legal field for Vietnam.

Binh said his visit aims to learn from France’s experience to develop the judicial reform strategy by 2030, and build a juvenile law for Vietnam, calling for France’s support in this regard.

On this occasion, the Vietnam Court Academy and the French National School for the Judiciary signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation for a five-year period, during which the two sides will cooperate in judge training and exchange.

Photo exhibition spotlights Vietnamese peacekeepers in South Sudan

More than 100 photos capturing Vietnamese peacekeepers in South Sudan are on display at an exhibition that opened in Hanoi on July 8.

Selected from thousands of photos taken by Nguyen A, the exhibits feature the image of the Vietnamese “blue beret” soldiers while performing their international tasks.

At the opening ceremony, the 54-year-old artist introduced a photo book telling about his one-month journey with the peacekeepers in the African nation through 300 photos.

Nguyen A has so far organised 17 exhibitions on Vietnam’s land, people, and tangible and intangible cultural heritages.

Last month, Vietnam sent its Engineering Unit Rotation 1 to the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

Established in 2014 and debuted in November 2021, the 184-member unit has been the biggest of Vietnam to join UN peacekeeping mission to date.

The first 28 members arrived in Abyei on May 5 and the remaining 156 on June 15 (local time).

Work on Tan Son Nhat airport’s T3 terminal expected to begin in third quarter

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on July 9 urged speeding up preparations so that construction on the T3 terminal of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City can start in the third quarter of this year.

During his field trip to the airport, the Government leader asked ministries, agencies and HCM City closely coordinate to handle congestion at the airport, especially after COVID-19 as trade activities will increase.

He assigned Deputy PM Le Van Thanh to supervise the project, and the Ministry of National Defence to complete site clearance within this month. The Ministry of Transport was tasked with instructing the construction.

The T3 terminal project was approved by the Government in 2020 at a cost of 10.99 trillion VND (470.5 million USD), using the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV)’s budget. Construction is expected to take 37 months.

Once operational, it will be able to serve up to 20 million passengers annually, according to the Prime Minister’s Decision 657/QD-TTg, dated May 19, 2020, that gave the green light to the project.

The new facility will handle domestic flights, thus helping to ease pressure on T1 that is currently overloaded and to improve service quality.

Video clip launched to promote Vietnamese tourism

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has launched a video clip Vietnam: Di de yeu! – Wonders of Vietnam (Vietnam: Travel to Love! - Wonders of Vietnam) to introduce beautiful destinations of Vietnam.

It is expected to bring impressive and unforgettable experiences to visitors

The clip is part of a programme promoting Vietnamese tourism on YouTube, organised by the VNAT, with support from Vinpearl and Google.

The video, which lasts 1 minute and 31 seconds, offers viewers a brief tour of renowned places in Vietnam such as Ban Goc waterfall in Cao Bang province, Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in Ninh Binh province, which is called “Ha Long Bay on land” with numerous caves, mountains, trees and historic relics, and the two UNESCO-recognised world cultural heritages of Hue ancient capital in Thua Thien-Hue province and My Son Sanctuary in Quang Nam province.

Ho Chi Minh City seeks to strengthen cooperation with foreign agencies

Vo Van Hoan, Vice chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has highlighted the role of foreign mission representatives to the city’s achievements in COVID-19 prevention and control.

At a reception for foreign mission representatives held by the municipal People’s Committee on July 8, the official expressed his gratitude for their positive contributions to the fight against the pandemic, contributing to the city’s socio-economic outcomes during the first half of this year.

Congratulating the Service Company to Foreign Mission (FOSCO) on its 43rd founding anniversary, Hoan spoke highly of the performance of the company, especially in providing services to consular delegations, international and non-governmental organisations, foreign economic representative offices, helping realise the external relations work of the city.

Addressing the event, Kho Ngee Seng Roy, Consul General of Singapore in HCM City and head of the Consular Delegation in the city, thanked FOSCO for supporting diplomatic missions and foreign organisations to work in Vietnam. He believed that the relations between foreign diplomatic agencies and FOSCO as well as the city’s administration will further develop in the future for mutual benefit.

According to Le Thi Hong Hau, Chairman of FOSCO’s Board of Members, over the past 43 years, the company has provided various types of services to diplomatic agencies, international and non-governmental organisations and representative offices of foreign economic organisations in HCM City and other localities in the south of Vietnam.

New book chronicles President Ho's commitment to health, exercise

A soon-to-be released book will offer readers a chance to learn more about how President Ho Chi Minh cared about physical exercise and sport.

The 600-page book, entitled Chu Tich Ho Chi Minh Voi The Duc The Thao (President Ho Chi Minh with Sport and Physical Training), will unveil several historical facts never before disclosed. The bilingual Vietnamese-English book also features the teachings of President Ho on physical training. The publication is expected to be a handbook for all classes of State officers, soldiers and people seeking to improve their physical training, following the late President’s example.

During his life, President Ho always maintained his self-discipline to exercise to improve his health, aiming to devote himself to serve the country and his people. Positively and creatively, he exercised in any circumstance, even when he was jailed.

According to President Ho, health enhancement is the duty of every patriot.

The book will be released on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the day when President Ho delivered his speech declaring Vietnamese independence on Ba Dinh Square, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (2/9/1945-2022).

The book has been published thanks to the joint efforts of the Historical Heritage of President Ho Chi Minh at the Presidential Palace, the Sports and Tourism Publishing House, and the Institute of Educational and Environmental Science.

The special publication will be presented and introduced to visitors of the Historical Heritage of President Ho.

Anyone wishing to learn more about President Ho’s life, career and his revolutionary ideology, can also purchase the book by dialing hotline 0967186597, or on website Vivina.net.

Minister suggests Vietnam, Venezuela forge investment, trade ties

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son suggested Vietnam and Venezuela enhance their trade and investment ties at a reception for Deputy Foreign Minister of Venezuela Capaya Rodriguez in Hanoi on July 8.

The two countries should work to remove obstacles to their cooperation projects in oil and gas and agriculture, he said.

Vietnam attaches importance to the traditional friendship and comprehensive partnership with Venezuela, Son affirmed, suggesting the two countries promote all-level delegation exchanges, and maintain and uphold the political consultation between the two foreign ministries as well as the inter-governmental committee mechanism.

For her part, Rodriguez lauded great achievements Vietnam has recorded over the past time across spheres, especially in socio-economic development, external affairs, national defence, COVID-19 combat and post-pandemic socio-economic development.

The same day, Rodriguez and her Vietnamese counterpart Ha Kim Ngoc attended the 9th political consultation, during which the two sides agreed on measures to step up the bilateral ties in a pragmatic and effective manner.

While in Vietnam, the Venezuelan official had working sessions with representatives from the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, the National Assembly’s Committee for Foreign Affairs, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO), the Vietnam Women’s Union and the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Mindset in scientific-technological management should be changed: Minister

Vietnamese Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat and representatives from some UNESCO member countries exchanged views on the role of basic sciences in policy-making at a high-level seminar in Paris on July 8.

The seminar took place as part of the opening ceremony of the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development (IYBSSD 2022) at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Speaking of lessons drawn from the COVID-19 combat, which have led to changes in the relations between science and policy-making, Dat stressed the need to change the mindset in scientific-technological management, encourage testing and promote innovations.

He suggested forming platforms to share scientific information and data, helping less developed countries to catch up with the world’s scientific and technological trends.

Vietnam is one of the first countries that initiated and promoted the ratification of a resolution on IYBSSD 2022 at the 40th session of the General Conference of UNESCO in October 2019, and the co-author of the resolution in December 2021.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency, Michel Spiro, President of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) and Chair of the Steering Committee of IYBSSD 2022, said such acts by Vietnam reflect the importance the country attaches to basic sciences in daily activities and sustainable development.

He called for the support from countries, policymakers and the entire society so that basic sciences can achieve targets for sustainable development.

Recommendations put forward to boost Thailand-HCM City trade, investment

A number of recommendations to boost trade and investment between Thailand and Ho Chi Minh City were put forward at a forum held in the southern city on July 8.

The Vietnam-Thailand relations have seen remarkable progress in multiple areas, from politics, economy to culture and people-to-people exchange, Vo Van Hoan, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee told the Thailand-HCM City Business Connection Forum.

Thailand remains Vietnam’s largest trade partner in ASEAN, he said, adding that Thailand is also Vietnam’s ninth biggest investor with more than 600 projects which have total registered investment of over 13 billion USD.

He highlighted HCM City as a major partner of Thailand, given that trade between the two sides exceeded 2.8 billion USD in 2021. Thailand currently operates 235 projects worth around 482 million USD, ranking 12th among foreign investors in the Vietnamese southern economic hub. Most of Thai-invested projects are in mechanics, chemistry, food, construction materials, tourism, warehouse and logistics.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chi Thanh said there are hundreds of thousand Vietnamese people living in Thailand who are acting as a catalyst for the bilateral relations to grow further.

Vietnamese investors are running about 1,000 businesses, mostly small- and medium-sized, in Thailand, Thanh said, noting that they mainly specialise in industry, agriculture, food processing, export-import, goods distribution, logistics, services, construction, hospitality and others.

There is plenty of room left for the two countries to step up trade, investment and tourism, he emphasised, recommending both sides to strengthen direct economic linkages between their localities and enterprises.

The diplomat suggested the establishment of a network for distribution of Vietnamese goods in Thailand and a similar one of Thailand in HCM City; and that the two sides should cooperate to launch tours connecting their destinations.

Politburo issues disciplinary warning against former official of HCM City

The Politburo issued a disciplinary measure against the Party delegation to the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City (2016-2021 tenure) and its former Secretary Nguyen Thanh Phong on July 8.

Phong, a member of the Party Central Committee and head of its Economic Commission, is also former Deputy Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee and former Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee for the 2016-2021 term.

According to the Politburo, the Party delegation violated the principle of democratic centralism and working rules, and showed a lack of responsibility along with lax leadership and direction, making it easier for the People’s Committee, many organisations and individuals to violate Party regulations and State laws on the management of finance and State assets.

Phong, in his positions as Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, and Secretary of the Party delegation and Chairman of the People’s Committee for the 2016-2021 term, violated regulations on things that Party members are not allowed to do, and those on their responsibility for setting examples. 

He has been mainly responsible for violations and wrongdoings committed by the Party delegation and the People’s Committee in the 2016-2021 tenure, as well as his own violations and wrongdoings.

The violations caused serious consequences and great losses to State assets, triggered concern among Party members, officials and people, and adversely affected the reputation of the Party, authorities and Phong himself, and socio-economic development in HCM City, the Politburo said.

It also asked agencies to impose administrative disciplinary measures against collectives and individuals that have been punished by the Party in line with regulations.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes