Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially announced that General Secretary To Lam will make a state visit to North Korea from October 9 to 11 and participate in the 80th anniversary ceremony of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

Diplomatic relations between Vietnam and North Korea were officially established on January 31, 1950, between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam).

This year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The traditional friendship and cooperation between the two Parties and States, founded by President Kim Il-sung and President Ho Chi Minh, have been carefully nurtured by successive generations of leaders and continuously strengthened in line with the wishes of both nations.

In January, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had sent a congratulatory message to Vietnamese President Luong Cuong on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and North Korea.

Kim Jong-un emphasized that “the Vietnamese and North Korean Parties and governments have designated 2025 as the ‘Year of Friendship,’ committed to a shared socialist cause.” He noted that advancing and enhancing the bilateral friendship and cooperation is aligned with the shared aspirations of the people of both countries.

In a reciprocal message to Kim Jong-un, President Luong Cuong reaffirmed the long-standing traditional ties between the two nations, built by Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Kim Il-sung and nurtured by many generations of leaders and citizens.

He affirmed that the “Year of Friendship” would include meaningful joint activities to celebrate this historic milestone.

General Secretary To Lam also sent a congratulatory message to Kim Jong-un, emphasizing that North Korea was among the first countries with which Vietnam established diplomatic relations.

He recalled Kim Jong-un’s official visit to Hanoi in 2019 for the North Korea–U.S. Summit, describing it as a historic milestone in the bilateral relationship.

General Secretary To Lam also reaffirmed Vietnam’s strategic direction in furthering ties between the two Parties and States to usher in a new era of strong bilateral development and cooperation.

Tran Thuong