Lee Says South Korea, Vietnam Aim for $150B Trade by 2030, Expand Nuclear and Infrastructure Cooperation President Lee Jae-myung said South Korea will support efforts to lift trade with Vietnam to $150 billion by 2030 and lay the groundwork to expand cooperation in nuclear power and infrastructure. Lee, on a state visit to Vietnam after traveling to India, made the remarks during a summit on April 22 (local time) with To Lam, the Communist Party’s general secretary and Vietnam’s state president. Lee said South Korea is “the best partner” for Vietnam’s vision of becoming a high-income advanced country by 2045. Vietnam is South Korea’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States. The two countries are each other’s top-three trading partners, and South Korea is Vietnam’s largest investor. Bilateral trade totaled $94.6 billion last year, a record high. South Korean investment in Vietnam through last year reached $56.8 billion, and about 10,000 South Korean companies operate there. South Korea’s key exports, including semiconductors and home appliances, are produced through a division of labor in which parts and materials are shipped from South Korea and finished goods are made in Vietnam. Lee said the summit would help deepen strategic economic cooperation and strengthen communication on an economic and security partnership, including energy, supply-chain stability and cooperation on critical minerals. The two sides exchanged 12 memorandums of understanding and cooperation documents spanning security and protection, digital, science and technology innovation, intellectual property, power infrastructure, water security, animal health and quarantine, culture, underwater cultural heritage, safety of food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and medical devices, nuclear power development, and financing cooperation for nuclear projects. According to a written briefing by presidential spokesperson Lee Kyu-yeon, the countries signed an MOU on safety cooperation for food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and medical devices. They also concluded quarantine talks on heat-treated poultry, which the briefing said would help expand access to Vietnam’s $4.3 billion imported pharmaceuticals market and its $11 billion meat market. They also signed an MOU to review cooperation possibilities in nuclear power development, including exploring options for new nuclear plants, jointly analyzing construction risks and supporting plans to optimize construction schedules. Lee said progress was also made on major national infrastructure projects expected to play a central role in Vietnam’s development, including the Dongnam new city and the new Tra Vinh airport. He added that “a contract is expected to be signed” for South Korea to export rail cars for Ho Chi Minh City’s urban rail system, saying he hoped the deal would contribute to improving Vietnam’s rail infrastructure. The leaders also agreed to build a mutually beneficial partnership to strengthen energy security and stabilize supply chains for critical minerals amid global uncertainty. Through a framework for a South Korea-Vietnam science and technology innovation cooperation master plan, the two sides will present a mid- to long-term vision for cooperation and expand support for training Vietnam’s future talent, including efforts aimed at easing labor shortages faced by South Korean companies operating there. In health care, the South Korean government plans to expand cooperation to strengthen Vietnam’s health capacity and improve access to medical services. It also plans to 추진 a “Central Region Emergency Medical System Strengthening Project” to significantly improve emergency care in Vietnam’s central region, described as medically underserved and frequently visited by South Koreans. The government also said it would support expanded cooperation in cultural industries and broader Korean-language education in Vietnam. During the visit, it plans to hold the “2026 Korea Culture and Tourism Expo,” linking Korean pop culture content with tourism promotion, and to support a “5 million mutual visits era” by boosting people-to-people exchanges, including tourism. Lee said South Korea and Vietnam upgraded ties in 2022, the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, to a comprehensive strategic partnership and became key partners across all fields. He said the visit further developed the relationship in a more future-oriented and strategic direction. Spokesperson Lee said the state visit was part of “relay summit diplomacy” with ASEAN following trips this year to Singapore and the Philippines and the hosting of a state visit to South Korea by Indonesia’s president. He said the trip helped complete the best possible partnership with Vietnam across politics, the economy and culture. The summit with To Lam was the first state event hosted by Vietnam’s new leadership, which took office earlier this month, and came eight months after To Lam’s visit to South Korea in August last year. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 01:09:19

South Korea’s Lee, Vietnam’s To Lam trade greetings at state dinner in Hanoi "Xin chao." (President Lee Jae-myung) "Thank you." (To Lam, Vietnam’s party chief and state president) President Lee Jae-myung and To Lam, Vietnam’s Communist Party chief and state president, exchanged greetings in each other’s languages at a state dinner in Hanoi, setting a cordial tone for the event. Speaking at the dinner April 22 (local time) at the Hanoi International Convention Center, Lee said the two countries would deepen cooperation as “core global partners,” including in science and technology, innovation and digital transformation — areas Vietnam has identified as key drivers of future growth. Lee recalled first visiting Vietnam after Seongnam City and Thanh Hoa Province signed a friendship and cooperation memorandum of understanding in 2013. He said he saw Vietnam’s potential then and has been struck by how those “many possibilities” have since translated into remarkable development. Lee noted that this year marks 800 years since Prince Yi Yong-sang of Vietnam’s Ly dynasty settled in Goryeo. He said ties that began with small exchanges have grown into a close relationship, with about 5 million people traveling between the two countries each year. He pointed to “more than 10,000” South Korean companies operating in Vietnam, “about 75,000” Vietnamese students studying at South Korean universities, and the lives of “100,000” South Korea-Vietnam multicultural families as evidence of deepening bonds and trust. Lee urged both sides to work together so that friendship “grown” over centuries can yield benefits for the next generation. Citing a Vietnamese proverb — “100 rivers come together to form one sea” — he said South Korea’s Han River and Vietnam’s Red River “are connected here as one.” Lee said the visions and promises shared would become streams of cooperation that ultimately meet in “a great sea of shared prosperity,” pledging South Korea would remain a steadfast partner. He ended with a Vietnamese toast, “Chuc suc khoe,” meaning “to your health.” In his welcoming remarks, To Lam said the visit came as the Vietnam-South Korea comprehensive strategic partnership strengthens, political trust grows, and cooperation expands in the economy, trade, investment and science, alongside more active people-to-people exchanges. He said Vietnam recently successfully held its 14th Party Congress, elections for the 16th National Assembly, and elections for local councils for the 2026-2031 term. He described Lee as the first state guest to visit Vietnam since the official launch of the country’s new national and government leadership. To Lam said the relationship blends deep history, cultural similarities and strategic interests in a new era, adding that in more than 30 years since diplomatic ties were established, the partnership has advanced rapidly into a comprehensive strategic partnership based on high political trust and more practical, effective cooperation. He said Vietnam is currently South Korea’s largest economic partner in Southeast Asia and its third-largest trading partner. He added that South Korea is Vietnam’s top investor, its second-largest partner in development cooperation and tourism, and its third-largest partner in trade and labor. To Lam compared the friendship to fermented soybean paste that deepens in flavor over time, and cited sayings from both countries about the value of working together. He said cultural similarities, political trust and complementary economic development would help sustain cooperation toward a future of peace, stability, development and prosperity, contributing to peace and stability in the region and the world. Attendees at the state dinner included Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, POSCO Holdings Chairman Chang In-hwa, HD Hyundai Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun, GS Chairman Huh Tae-soo, CJ Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik, Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-joon and Daewoo Engineering & Construction Chairman Jung Won-ju. 2026-04-23 00:06:22

Korea’s Homegrown AI Model Developers Deepen Ties With Nvidia Companies selected for the Science and ICT Ministry’s push to build an independent AI foundation model are expanding cooperation with Nvidia, accelerating efforts to broaden South Korea’s AI ecosystem. The partnerships aim to combine data, infrastructure and models to strengthen industry-specific AI competitiveness. LG AI Research said that on the 21st, co-head Lim Woo-hyung and EXAONE Lab head Lee Jin-sik met with Nvidia Vice President of Applied Research Brian Catanzaro and Nvidia Korea CEO Jung So-young at LG’s Magok office in Seoul to discuss next-generation AI model development and joint ecosystem-building strategies. The two sides agreed to widen cooperation by linking LG’s EXAONE with Nvidia’s Nemotron open ecosystem to jointly develop specialized models for professional fields. Building on collaboration from EXAONE 3.0 through the recently released multimodal model 4.5, they plan to increase integration across data, infrastructure and software. LG AI Research said it has improved training quality using Nemotron datasets, while Nvidia has supported training optimization and inference efficiency through its latest graphics processing units and tools such as the NeMo framework. LG AI Research said the results are reflected in Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence “AI Index Report.” It said South Korea ranked third among countries with notable AI models, and that four of the five models cited were from the EXAONE series. Telecom companies are also expanding cooperation. SK Telecom disclosed results of its AI model development work with Nvidia at “Nvidia Nemotron Developer Days Seoul 2026.” SK Telecom said it plans to use Nvidia solutions in developing “A.X K2,” a follow-up to “A.X K1,” which it introduced under the independent foundation model project. The company previously applied Nemotron datasets and related frameworks during training of A.X K1, a model with 519 billion parameters, to secure stability for large-scale distributed training. The two companies are holding technical consultations every two weeks to discuss infrastructure stability, performance improvements and optimization measures. In a panel discussion co-hosted by the ministry and Nvidia on the 21st, participating companies outlined shared priorities. Elice Group emphasized the need for “vertical AI” optimized for specific industries such as manufacturing and finance. Upstage said a key task is narrowing the gap between benchmark performance and real-world enterprise deployment. SK Telecom said it is focusing beyond early “performance verification” on commercialization suitable for real services and on improving inference efficiency. Motif Technologies said it is developing a 300B Mixture-of-Experts model and aims to narrow the gap with global big tech through efficiency-focused design rather than a race for scale alone. Still, concerns were raised about overreliance on an Nvidia-centered ecosystem. Motif CEO Lim Jeong-hwan said that when freedom to experiment with model architectures is critical, heavier dependence on Nvidia software could constrain independent innovation.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 00:03:22

South Korea presidential security service signs protection MOU with Vietnam police ministry The Presidential Security Service said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security on April 22 (local time) to strengthen cooperation in protection and security, on the occasion of President Lee Jae-myung’s state visit to Vietnam. PSS chief Hwang In-kwon and Vietnamese Public Security Minister Luong Tam Quang held the signing ceremony at the Presidential Palace, with Lee and To Lam, Vietnam’s Communist Party general secretary and state president, in attendance, the service said. Under the MOU, the two agencies agreed to step up cooperation on protection support during visits by the two countries’ heads of state, expand personnel exchanges, provide commissioned training and share protection-related information. Luong said the agreement shows mutual trust in security cooperation and voiced confidence that ties between the ministry and the PSS would deepen and produce tangible results. Hwang said he hopes the MOU will make a practical contribution to bilateral friendship, noting South Korea and Vietnam are in a “comprehensive strategic partnership.” He said he expects protection cooperation between the two agencies to advance to a deeper and more effective stage.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 23:33:17

Lee Says South Korea, Vietnam Aim for $150 Billion Trade by 2030, Expand Nuclear and Infrastructure Cooperation President Lee Jae-myung said South Korea will work with Vietnam to help reach $150 billion in bilateral trade by 2030 and to lay the groundwork for expanded cooperation in nuclear power and infrastructure. Lee, on a state visit to Vietnam after visiting India, made the remarks on April 22 during a summit with To Lam, the Communist Party general secretary and state president. “Korea is the best partner for realizing Vietnam’s vision of becoming a high-income advanced country by 2045,” Lee said. Vietnam is South Korea’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, and the two countries are each other’s top-three trading partners. South Korea is also Vietnam’s largest investor, the article said. Bilateral trade totaled $94.6 billion last year, a record high. Through last year, South Korean investment in Vietnam totaled $56.8 billion, and about 10,000 South Korean companies operate there. In key export sectors such as semiconductors and home appliances, South Korea ships parts and materials and Vietnam produces finished goods, making Vietnam a key link in South Korea’s manufacturing value chain. Lee said the summit would help further upgrade strategic economic cooperation and strengthen communication on an economic and security partnership, including energy, supply-chain stability and cooperation on critical minerals. The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding to review possible cooperation on nuclear power development, including support for exploring new nuclear plant construction, jointly analyzing construction risks and developing ways to optimize construction schedules. Lee also cited progress on major state-led infrastructure projects expected to play a central role in Vietnam’s development, including the Southeast New City and the Gia Binh new airport. He said a contract is expected to be signed to export South Korean railcars for Ho Chi Minh City’s urban rail system. “I hope this contract will contribute to improving Vietnam’s rail infrastructure,” Lee said. The leaders also agreed on building a mutually beneficial partnership to strengthen energy security and stabilize supply chains for critical minerals amid global uncertainty. Through a Korea-Vietnam science and technology innovation cooperation master plan framework, the two countries will present a mid- to long-term vision for cooperation and expand support for training Vietnam’s future talent, including efforts aimed at easing labor shortages faced by South Korean companies there. The government also said it will support broader cooperation in cultural industries and expand Korean-language education in Vietnam. During the visit, it plans to hold the “2026 Korea Culture and Tourism Festival,” linking Korean pop culture content with tourism promotion, and to support what it called an era of “5 million mutual visits” by boosting people-to-people exchanges, including tourism. Lee said that in 2022, marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties, South Korea and Vietnam elevated relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership and became key partners with wide-ranging cooperation. He said the visit further advanced the relationship in a more future-oriented and strategic direction. The summit was the first state visit hosted by Vietnam’s new leadership, which took office earlier this month, and came eight months after Lam’s visit to South Korea in August last year. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 23:24:18

Lee Jae-myung Says South Korea, Vietnam to Expand Cooperation in Nuclear, Infrastructure Lee Jae-myung: Korea, Vietnam to expand cooperation in nuclear, infrastructure President Lee Jae-myung said April 22 (local time) that South Korea and Vietnam will broaden cooperation in “strategic areas” including nuclear power, infrastructure and science and technology innovation. Speaking at a luncheon with members of the Korean community at a hotel in Hanoi during his state visit to Vietnam, Lee said he aims to develop bilateral ties — already “at the highest level” — into a more future-oriented and strategic partnership. Lee noted that the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992 and “in just one generation” became each other’s top three trading partners. He added that Vietnam is South Korea’s largest destination for investment, with about 10,000 Korean companies operating there. Ruling party, government: Auto insurance discount for 5-day driving plan next month An auto insurance product offering discounts to drivers who join a five-day driving rotation system is set to be launched next month, officials said. A fourth round of a maximum oil price system will be decided after weighing market impact, global oil prices and the public burden. The Democratic Party, the government and the presidential office said they discussed responses to the Middle East situation at a high-level meeting April 22 at the prime minister’s official residence in Seoul’s Samcheong-dong. Kang Jun-hyeon, the party’s chief spokesperson, said the non-life insurance industry will introduce a special rider next month that discounts auto premiums for participation in the five-day system, providing benefits to people who voluntarily conserve energy. Officials said they will decide whether to implement the fourth maximum oil price system after a comprehensive review of market effects, international factors and the burden on the public. Unification Ministry explains Jeong Dong-young remarks on Kusong nuclear site…“Based on research and reporting” South Korea’s Unification Ministry said Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young’s recent public mention of Kusong as the location of a uranium enrichment facility in North Korea was a summary assessment based on outside information. In reference material distributed to reporters on April 22, the ministry said Jeong’s remarks drew on comments by International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi and information from the Institute for Science and International Security, among other sources, to address the status of North Korea’s nuclear facilities. The ministry said Jeong referred to Grossi’s March 2 keynote speech to underscore the seriousness and urgency of the North Korea nuclear issue. It added that Jeong had mentioned Kusong in the same context during his confirmation hearing in July last year. Samsung Electronics union plans rally, steps toward May general strike Tensions are rising as Samsung Electronics’ labor union has signaled large-scale rallies and a general strike, drawing criticism that such moves could amount to self-inflicted damage as global competition in semiconductors intensifies. Industry officials said April 22 that the union’s joint struggle headquarters will press ahead with a rally at the Pyeongtaek campus on April 23 as a prelude to a general strike in May. The hard line has heightened unease in the industry, recalling conditions two years ago when uncertainty and weakening chip results coincided with the company’s first-ever strike. KOSPI hits record again as money crowds into Samsung, SK Hynix chip stocks South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI extended its run of record highs for a second straight session, topping 6,400. While the rally has been clear, uncertainty over whether the Middle East war will end has also fueled caution. The market’s gains have been uneven, with money increasingly concentrated in the top two chipmakers by market value. About 40% of institutional and foreign buying flowed into Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, and the exchange-traded fund market is also shifting toward semiconductors. A planned launch by the end of next month of 2x leveraged ETFs tied to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix is expected to intensify the concentration of funds in semiconductor-related products. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 21:51:22

Court Jails Influencer’s Husband in Alleged Police Cover-Up; Officer Arrest Denied A businessman accused of asking a police officer to cover up his influencer wife’s fraud case was arrested, while the officer suspected of helping him avoided detention. Judge Hwang Jung-yeon of the Seoul Southern District Court on April 22 issued an arrest warrant for a man identified only as Lee, who is accused of offering bribes and violating the Capital Markets Act, citing concerns he could destroy evidence after a warrant review hearing. Lee’s spouse, identified only as A, is an influencer who also worked as a model for a Pilates academy. She was accused around July 2024 by franchisees of fraud and violating the Franchise Business Act. In December that year, Seoul’s Gangnam Police Station decided there was no basis to pursue the case. Prosecutors suspect Lee met a superintendent from Gangnam Police Station, identified only as Song, through an officer he knew, treated him at a room salon and provided money and valuables. Prosecutors also suspect Song leaked investigative information to Lee about A’s case, which was being handled by another team. Prosecutors sought arrest warrants for both men. It was prosecutors’ second attempt to detain Lee. Last month, prosecutors sought a warrant on suspicion he conspired with stock price manipulators — including a brokerage firm department head and businesspeople — to rig the share price of a KOSDAQ-listed company, but the court denied the request. With Lee now in custody, prosecutors plan additional investigation into the alleged cover-up and the stock manipulation allegations. The court denied the arrest warrant for Song, who is accused of taking bribes and leaking official secrets. Hwang said there is a dispute over whether the entertainment or money and valuables amounted to a bribe, making it necessary to protect Song’s right to defense. On the alleged leak of official secrets, Hwang said there is also a dispute over whether a crime was established, given the content and importance of the information provided and its impact on the overall investigation. Prosecutors said they will review the court’s reasoning and then decide whether to seek another warrant.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 21:33:19

Fashion mogul Park Sun-ho, model for 'Fashion 70s,' reveals rise from poverty to 1 trillion won sales The turbulent life of Park Sun-ho — the real-life model for the 2005 TV drama “Fashion 70s” — will be featured on EBS’ “Seo Jang-hoon’s Next-Door Millionaire,” tracing his rise from a penniless boy who did not finish middle school to the head of a fashion business that later posted 1 trillion won in annual sales. The program airing on the 22nd presents Park as a “living witness” to South Korea’s apparel industry, with a success story that began in 1973 as a small wholesale operation at Busan’s Jungang Market. His company grew into a major fashion firm, using top celebrities as advertising models — from Lee Moon-se and Jeon Kwang-ryeol to Jung Woo-sung, Lee Dong-wook and Namgoong Min. In 2011, it reached the long-sought benchmark of 1 trillion won in annual sales. The broadcast also shows four company buildings facing each other across a single street in Busan, underscoring the scale of what it calls his “fashion empire.” Park said his start was harsh. “I never once got to wear clean clothes properly,” he recalled of a childhood when even meals were hard to come by. Unable to enter middle school, he helped with farming from age 14 and, at 16, took a job at an underwear wholesaler in Masan. He said the conditions were so poor he suffered frostbite in winter, and he received no wages — only three meals a day — but learned the trade. Two years later, he headed to Busan’s Jungang Market with hopes of starting his own business and got a chance to open a shop without paying any deposit. He went on to secure exclusive supply deals with 130 retailers and expanded into wholesaling, becoming what the show calls a “young tycoon” in his 20s. “I brought money home in sacks. There was so much I couldn’t tell if it was bills or just paper,” he said. The program says it will reveal how he managed to break into the market with no money. After striking it big in apparel wholesaling, Park moved into manufacturing. He said he studied production closely while visiting factories and eventually succeeded in producing cotton T-shirts, the second such effort in South Korea. A self-developed “seamless turtleneck” became a major hit, he said, with orders surging so much that shops hid inventory to sell it. His rise was interrupted by an unexpected crisis. “Inventory piled up like a mountain. At the time my debt was 38 million won — in today’s value, it would be tens of billions,” he said. “When I talk about it, I cry,” he added. The program says it will detail what drove him to the brink and how he paid off the debt and recovered within four years, in the episode airing at 9:55 p.m. on the 22nd.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 21:21:21

Special Prosecutor Questions Cho Tae-yul on Alleged Martial Law Justification Message to U.S. Kwon Chang-young’s second comprehensive special prosecutor team, which is investigating remaining allegations after three special prosecutor teams (insurrection, Kim Keon Hee, and the late Marine) wrapped up, questioned former Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul as a witness over suspicions that former President Yoon Suk Yeol sought to send allied countries including the United States a message justifying martial law. The team said in a media notice on the 22nd that it questioned Cho about the circumstances in which the presidential office, immediately after the “12·3 insurrection,” allegedly instructed the Foreign Ministry to deliver a message to the United States aimed at justifying the martial law declaration. Investigators said the message included claims such as: “This measure is to defend liberal democracy,” and that the National Assembly had “paralyzed the executive branch” through impeachment motions and budget cuts and sought the “substantial destruction” of South Korea’s constitutional order, prompting a “political demonstration within constitutional bounds.” It also said Yoon “maintains a stance” against “pro-North leftists” and “anti-Americanism,” the team said. The team believes Yoon tried to deliver the message through former National Security Office chief Shin Won-sik and former first deputy national security adviser Kim Tae-hyo. Earlier, on the 8th, the team searched Kim’s home and office. The warrant reportedly cited allegations that Shin and Kim played key roles in an insurrection and abused authority to obstruct the exercise of rights, and that Yoon abused authority.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 21:15:15

Lee Jae-myung says South Korea, Vietnam expanding cooperation from infrastructure to future industries Lee Jae-myung said April 22 that South Korea is pursuing broad cooperation with Vietnam, ranging from “hardware” sectors such as logistics, transportation, energy and infrastructure to future industries including science and technology, intellectual property and creative industries. Lee, on a state visit to Vietnam after visiting India, made the remarks in a joint press statement after a summit with To Lam, the Communist Party general secretary and state president. Lee said South Korea is “the best partner” for Vietnam’s vision of becoming a high-income advanced country by 2045. The two leaders said the summit further strengthened cooperation under their “comprehensive strategic partnership.” They said the countries agreed to develop trade and investment ties on a more mutually beneficial basis to meet a goal of $150 billion in trade by 2030. Following is the full text of the South Korea-Vietnam joint press statement: Thank you to General Secretary To Lam and the people of Vietnam for inviting me and our delegation and for your warm welcome. After the launch of South Korea’s new government last year, the general secretary visited South Korea as the first state guest. This time, I am visiting as the first state guest following the launch of Vietnam’s new leadership. I believe this is a special scene that shows how close our relationship is. I am also very pleased to see firsthand Vietnam’s dynamic development under General Secretary To Lam’s leadership. Vietnam is South Korea’s third-largest partner for trade and investment, and South Korea is Vietnam’s largest investor. About 10,000 South Korean companies have entered Vietnam across sectors including petrochemicals, shipbuilding, steel and electronics, building a high level of economic partnership. As the best partner for Vietnam’s vision of becoming a high-income advanced country by 2045, South Korea is pursuing wide-ranging cooperation from logistics, transportation, energy and infrastructure to future industries such as science and technology, intellectual property and creative industries. At today’s talks, we agreed to further strengthen this “comprehensive strategic partnership.” I will outline the main outcomes of the summit. First, to achieve the goal of $150 billion in trade by 2030, we agreed to develop trade and investment cooperation on a more mutually beneficial basis. For the first time, the two countries agreed to mutually export heat-treated processed meat. Based on the memorandum of understanding on cooperation in animal health and quarantine signed this time, we agreed to accelerate cooperation to expand trade in agricultural and livestock products. I again thank General Secretary To Lam for highly valuing the role of our companies in Vietnam and for saying he will actively work to ensure stable and predictable business conditions for them. Second, based on firm mutual trust, we agreed to strengthen strategic cooperation in energy and infrastructure. We shared the view that cooperation is even more necessary amid supply-chain instability stemming from the recent Middle East situation. We agreed to work more closely to strengthen energy security and stabilize supply chains. Tomorrow, a contract will be signed for South Korea to export rail cars for Ho Chi Minh City’s urban railway. I hope the contract contributes to improving Vietnam’s rail infrastructure and leads to expanded cooperation on major transportation and logistics infrastructure projects Vietnam is pursuing. We also agreed to communicate closely so that projects such as new cities and new airports, which Vietnam is pursuing as part of its national development vision, can produce many model cases of bilateral infrastructure cooperation. Third, we agreed to expand cooperation in forward-looking areas including science and technology, climate change and the environment, and culture and education. I expressed support for General Secretary To Lam’s science and technology development policies and said South Korea will actively contribute. Based on the “master plan for cooperation in science, technology and innovation,” we will strengthen cooperation on joint research in semiconductors, secondary batteries and biotechnology, and on support for training research talent. The memorandum of understanding on digital cooperation signed this time will expand cooperation in digital fields such as AI and semiconductors and will also contribute significantly to the expansion of our IT companies into Vietnam. In addition, we signed a memorandum of understanding on water security cooperation to prevent flood damage linked to climate change and to secure water security. We also agreed to work together to strengthen cultural cooperation, including media, with Vietnam, where the outlook for creative industries is bright, and to strengthen Korean-language education in Vietnam. Fourth, we agreed to cooperate closely to ensure stable stays and to enhance the rights and interests of each other’s citizens and multicultural families. Vietnam is the second most visited country in the world for South Koreans, with as many as 4.5 million South Koreans visiting each year. It is also the top country for international marriages involving South Koreans, forming 100,000 multicultural families. It is also the ASEAN country with the largest population of overseas Koreans. General Secretary To Lam said he will support the safety of our citizens visiting Vietnam and help ensure convenient stays for overseas Koreans in Vietnam and second-generation South Korea-Vietnam families. I also promised to continue working to enhance the rights and interests of Vietnamese workers and marriage immigrants in South Korea. Finally, the two leaders also exchanged broad views on ways to promote peace and stability in the region, including the Korean Peninsula. I explained our vision for a Korean Peninsula where North and South coexist peacefully and grow together. General Secretary To Lam highly valued our government’s sincere will to resume dialogue and cooperation and said he will contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. Our two countries will also communicate closely and expand cooperation on the international stage, including at the United Nations. Our government will faithfully implement the cooperation measures agreed with General Secretary To Lam today and further develop the comprehensive strategic partnership between our two countries. Once again, I express my deep gratitude for the hospitality of General Secretary To Lam and the people of Vietnam. Thank you. 2026-04-22 21:03:30