At the invitations of South Korean National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong Sik and his wife, and Mongolian Parliament Chairman Sandag Byambatsogt and his wife, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, his wife and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation will pay official visits to South Korea and Mongolia from September 6-11.

Relations between Vietnam and South Korea have continued to develop in a substantive, effective and comprehensive manner across multiple fields, particularly since the two countries upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022.

The two sides have been actively implementing commitments and agreements reached following General Secretary To Lam’s visit to South Korea in August 2025 and President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to Vietnam in April 2026.

South Korea is Vietnam’s second-largest investment partner, second-largest source of tourists and second-largest provider of official development assistance. It is also Vietnam’s third-largest trading partner and third-largest destination for Vietnamese workers.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and South Korea reached $89.5 billion in 2025, up 9.6% from 2024. In the first seven months of 2026, bilateral trade totaled $70 billion, an increase of 41% from the same period in 2025.

South Korea is Vietnam’s largest foreign investor among 154 countries investing in the country, with total registered capital of $102.6 billion across 10,567 projects.

In tourism, South Korea was Vietnam’s second-largest source market in 2025, with 4.3 million visitors accounting for 21% of all international arrivals.

By the end of 2025, around 352,000 Vietnamese people were living in South Korea, an increase of 30,000 from the same period in 2024. The community included more than 100,000 international students and 100,000 workers, as well as around 100,000 Vietnamese-Korean multicultural families. Others were in the country for investment cooperation, family visits and short-term employment.

The number of Vietnamese students in South Korea has increased rapidly in recent years and currently stands at around 43,000, with most studying the Korean language or enrolled in undergraduate programs.

Vietnam and Mongolia have enjoyed a longstanding traditional friendship, with the two countries regularly assisting and supporting each other.

Mongolia regards Vietnam as one of its most important Comprehensive Partners in Southeast Asia. In recent years, bilateral relations have made substantive and comprehensive progress across a wide range of fields.

Vietnam and Mongolia established a Comprehensive Partnership during General Secretary and President To Lam’s state visit to Mongolia in September 2024.

The two sides have maintained regular exchanges of delegations and contacts between senior leaders, officials at various levels, local authorities and people-to-people friendship organizations.

Cooperation between the two legislatures has also been maintained, with parliamentary delegation exchanges and contacts continuing to be promoted.

The two countries have considerable potential for economic and trade cooperation, with bilateral ties in these areas showing encouraging progress in recent years.

Vietnam-Mongolia trade exceeded $155 million in 2025, with Vietnam’s exports accounting for more than $100 million. Vietnamese exports included phones, electronic components, household electrical appliances, detergents, cosmetics, processed foods, white rice, cereals, confectionery, beer, coffee, pharmaceuticals, canned fruit, eggs and chicken.

Vietnam, meanwhile, imports certain agricultural products and raw materials and accessories for the textile, garment, leather and footwear industries from Mongolia.

Several Vietnamese businesses have been implementing large-scale investment projects in Mongolia’s energy sector. The Vietnamese community in Mongolia numbers nearly 1,000 people, mainly investing or working in automotive painting and body repair, trade and tourism services.

Tourism is another area with considerable potential for cooperation between the two countries.

Vietnam and Mongolia signed a memorandum of understanding on tourism cooperation in September 2024. They also signed an agreement in 2023 on visa exemptions for holders of diplomatic, official and ordinary passports.

Vietnam has become one of the five favorite destinations for Mongolian travelers in recent years.

Tran Thuong