This marks the first official visit of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to South Korea. The visit is set to occur exactly one year after South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's state visit to Vietnam in June 2023.

At the end of 2022, Vietnam and South Korea elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The two nations continue to enhance relations through various channels, including the Party, Government, and National Assembly. High-level exchanges are maintained in numerous flexible forms, continuously strengthening political trust.

South Korea considers Vietnam a key partner in implementing its regional policies, including the Indo-Pacific Strategy and the ASEAN-Korea Solidarity Initiative.

Economically, the two countries have become significant partners. South Korea remains Vietnam's top investor, the second-largest in development cooperation (ODA) and tourism, and the third-largest in labor and trade.

In labor cooperation, South Korea employs Vietnamese workers through three channels: the Employment Permit System (EPS), skilled labor, and seasonal labor.

To date, over 127,000 Vietnamese workers have worked in South Korea under the EPS program. In 2023, nearly 9,400 EPS workers and 11,000 seasonal Vietnamese workers entered South Korea.

The two nations actively introduce and seek new partners for technology transfer and promote new cooperation agreements between scientific and technological agencies and organizations.

The Vietnamese community in South Korea exceeds 250,000 people, while the Korean community in Vietnam is more than 150,000.

In 2023, South Korea was the top source of international tourists to Vietnam, with 3.6 million visitors. Conversely, more than 500,000 Vietnamese tourists visited South Korea.

Currently, 76 Vietnamese provinces, cities, and localities have signed cooperation agreements with South Korean counterparts. Korean investors are present in 55 Vietnamese localities, predominantly in Bac Ninh, Hanoi, Dong Nai, Hai Phong, Thai Nguyen, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Tran Thuong