On October 23, the News Publishing House released the Vietnamese edition of the book Stories About General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong by Korean author Cho Chulhyeon. The launch coincided with the 100-day commemoration of the General Secretary's passing. This is the first book by a foreign author about Nguyen Phu Trong, with its initial release in Korean in May 2024.

When Cho Chulhyeon first considered writing about General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, he thought it would be easy to gather information from various sources. However, it proved to be more challenging than anticipated because of the General Secretary's modest nature. Cho traveled to several countries, including Cuba, China, and Russia, to find articles about Nguyen Phu Trong.

The 344-page book vividly depicts the General Secretary's early life, his diligent academic journey from primary to secondary school, and as a student in the 8th Literature Class at Hanoi University. It also covers his time at the Communist Review, where he published many sharp theoretical and critical articles, and highlights his achievements as Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee (2000-2006), Chairman of the National Assembly (2006-2011), and his leadership role as the top figure in Vietnam across the 11th, 12th, and 13th Party Congresses.

In his preface, State President Luong Cuong, then a member of the Politburo and Permanent Secretary of the Party Central Committee, wrote: “Author Cho Chulhyeon expressed profound admiration and respect for the intellect, talent, character, ethics, and dedicated service of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to the nation and people of Vietnam. He introduced readers to sincere, touching stories about the life and career of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, allowing the events and simple stories to speak for themselves without needing elaborate words.”

General Luong Cuong emphasized: “The book will help readers at home and abroad gain deeper insights into the respected leader of the Party, State, and people of Vietnam. It serves as an important educational tool for officials, Party members, and citizens, promoting ethics, revolutionary ideals, and the pursuit of freedom and happiness for the people.”

Speaking at the book launch, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Head of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Le Hoai Trung, affirmed that the book sheds light on the life and career of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Vietnam's history. It serves as a valuable reference for both domestic and international readers interested in learning more about his life and contributions.

Cho Chulhyeon is a biographical writer and documentary filmmaker. After graduating from the English Department of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, he worked in the publishing department of the Broadcasting and Communications Commission. He has produced numerous documentaries related to Korean-speaking communities.

Starting at the Frankfurt International Book Fair in Germany (2005), Cho served as the director of filming events where Korea was invited as the guest of honor at major international book fairs worldwide until 2016.

Since 2017, he has focused on the Korean diaspora in Central Asia and has published several books on the subject. In 2014, he was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Prime Minister of South Korea for his contributions to the development of the publishing industry.

In 2019, he won the Outstanding Work Award at the 1st Tashkent International Book Fair in Uzbekistan.

Tinh Le