On July 1, during his visit to South Korea, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended a forum aimed at enhancing tourism and cultural cooperation between Vietnam and Korea.

Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung highlighted the progress in sports, culture, and tourism cooperation over the past 30 years. The Vietnamese Government is committed to fostering sustainable development in these sectors.

The Prime Minister has frequently used Vietnam's unique cultural heritage to promote the country. Vietnam has also embraced cultural elements from advanced societies, including Korea.

Over the last two years, cultural exchange activities have been successfully organized by the Ministries of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of both countries. These activities have involved the business community and engaged many citizens from both nations.

"The Korean wave, with its music shows, movies, television, fashion, and cuisine, is very popular in Vietnam. Vietnamese culture, such as the Ao Dai festival, puppetry, and traditional music performances, is also appreciated by Korean friends," Minister Hung remarked.

In 2023, the bilateral exchange of tourists between Vietnam and Korea reached 4 million. In the first five months of 2024, Vietnam welcomed nearly 2 million Korean visitors, a 48% increase compared to the same period in 2023.

Cooperation in sports training, coaching, and providing scholarships for athletes has yielded significant results. The contributions of Mr. Park Hang Seo, former head coach of Vietnam's national men's football team, are noteworthy.

Minister Hung emphasized the importance of the forum's discussions and the cooperative efforts of the Ministries of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the business community. The aim is to develop cultural products where Vietnam has strengths, particularly in cinema, performing arts, and cultural tourism.

"The signed cooperation documents between agencies and enterprises of the two countries will pave the way for more extensive collaboration, as President Ho Chi Minh once said: 'Each small drop of water seeps into the ground, flows in a new direction to become a stream, a river,'" he concluded.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Korea, Ms. Jang Mi Ran, praised the enthusiasm of Vietnamese people for Korean culture. She noted that President Yoon Seok-yeol supports increasing cooperation and exchange.

"Last year, 3.6 million Korean tourists visited Vietnam, meaning 3 out of every 10 foreign visitors were Korean," she said.

The number of Vietnamese visitors to Korea also reached around 420,000, the highest among Southeast Asian tourists.

Ms. Jang Mi Ran hopes that the forum will enhance not only tourism but also broader cultural industry exchanges and cooperation.

Vietnam Tourism Ambassador to Korea, Ly Xuong Can, the 31st descendant of King Ly Thai To, has actively promoted Vietnam's tourist destinations to the Korean market. He has been appointed for the third term.

He discussed the opportunities and challenges in high-level tourism cooperation, medical tourism, and infrastructure development to promote tax refund policies for foreign tourists.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highlighted cultural and tourism cooperation as a bright spot in bilateral relations.

Vietnam aims to develop tourism with the motto: "Unique products, professional services, convenient procedures, competitive prices, clean and beautiful environment, and safe, civilized, and friendly destinations."

From August 15, 2023, Vietnam has extended the visa exemption stay for Korean tourists from 15 days to 45 days and for e-visa holders to 90 days.

"I hope to reach 5.5 million tourists in the near future," the Prime Minister stated.

In the past 30 years, Korea's cultural industry has flourished, with Korean films and bands gaining immense popularity in Vietnam.

"Korea's experience and success will provide valuable lessons for Vietnam's emerging cultural industry," the Prime Minister said. He concluded with, "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together."

The Prime Minister hopes Korea will assist Vietnam in building policies and institutions for cultural industry development, infrastructure, training high-quality human resources, effective management, and mobilizing resources and capital for cultural and entertainment industries.

Thu Hang