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On the afternoon of April 22, at the Presidential Palace, General Secretary and President Tô Lâm and his wife, Ngô Phương Ly, hosted the official welcome ceremony for South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and his wife, Kim Hae Kyung, during a state visit to Vietnam. Senior Vietnamese officials attended, including Politburo members and cabinet ministers.
The ceremony included the national anthems, a 21-gun salute fired from the Thăng Long Citadel, and a formal flag review featuring the Vietnamese People’s Army Honor Guard. Photos from the event show the two leaders posing together. Following the welcome ceremony, Tô Lâm and Lee Jae Myung held talks, witnessed the signing of cooperation documents, and met the press.
Vietnam and South Korea established diplomatic relations on December 22, 1992. Over more than 30 years, the relationship has developed into a leading model of cooperation. Since upgrading to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in December 2022, political trust between the two countries has strengthened.
The two sides maintain close ties across Party, Government, and Parliament channels, supporting high-level visits, exchanges, and regular contact between leaders at various levels. Vietnam and Korea also operate multiple cooperation mechanisms across sectors and fields.
Economic and trade cooperation remains the main pillar of the bilateral relationship and a “bright spot” in Vietnam’s international economic cooperation. Korea is Vietnam’s top investor, while the Korean tourism market ranks second. Korea is also the second-largest source of ODA, the third-largest trading partner, and the third-largest market for Vietnamese workers.
The state visit by President Lee Jae Myung and his wife to Vietnam runs from April 21 to 24, 2026. It takes place at a time when Vietnam–Korea relations are described as being at their strongest point in history, with the visit expected to open a new development phase featuring long-term strategic directions for both countries.
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