By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul, who is on an official visit to Vietnam (April 15-17), held the Second Foreign Ministerial Dialogue and Working Dinner with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son in Hanoi on April 15, where they discussed ways to develop bilateral relations in all fields and regional and international issues, including the North Korea issue.

The two ministers reaffirmed their strong commitment to developing a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries and decided to strengthen cooperation in all fields, including ▴ diplomacy and security, ▴ trade and investment, ▴ strategic cooperation on nuclear power plants, high-speed railways, and large-scale infrastructure, ▴ science and technology, and ▴ consular and people-to-people exchanges.

Minister Cho emphasized that the two countries have become the best economic cooperation partners as they are each other's top three trading partners and South Korea is Vietnam's top investor, and called for close cooperation to achieve the agreed goal of reaching $150 billion in trade volume by 2030.

Cho noted that about 10,000 Korean companies operating in Vietnam are actively contributing to job creation and industrial upgrading in the country, and called for cooperation in resolving labor, residence permit, and licensing issues so that Korean companies can continue to operate smoothly in Vietnam.

Son said that Vietnam attaches great importance to expanding the activities and presence of Korean companies in Vietnam, and in this regard, Vietnam has continued to make efforts to resolve the difficulties faced by Korean companies, including hosting a meeting with Korean companies in March this year under the chairmanship of the Vietnamese Prime Minister with the participation of relevant ministers, and expressed willingness to work together to resolve the difficulties mentioned by Cho.

The two ministers also discussed the U.S. government's recent announcement on reciprocal tariffs, and agreed to continue to communicate closely on this issue as the two countries' economies are closely linked.

In line with the comprehensive strategic partnership, the two ministers agreed that the two countries need to expand cooperation in strategic and forward-looking areas such as nuclear power and high-speed rail, and will work closely together to do so.

Meanwhile, Cho praised the vibrant people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, including more than 5 million reciprocal visits last year, and called for continued attention and support to ensure the safe travel and stay of our people in Vietnam.

Son expressed his understanding of the importance of people-to-people exchanges in promoting trust and friendship between the two peoples, and looked forward to expanding cooperation in tourism, education, and culture to further boost them.

The two ministers also exchanged views on regional and international developments. Cho in particular expressed concern about illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea and emphasized that North Korea should not be rewarded for its actions during the negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

On April 15, prior to the foreign ministerial dialogue, Minister Cho held a meeting with Korean compatriots and businessmen in Vietnam to encourage them and listen to their concerns.

They requested the Korean government's attention and support to help them obtain work permits and residence permits in Vietnam more quickly, and expressed their hope that the negotiations between Vietnam and the United States on the U.S. reciprocal tariff measures will be successful and that the damage to Korean companies in Vietnam will be minimized.

In response, Minister Cho said that he will continue to communicate with the U.S. and Vietnamese governments to minimize the damage to Korean businesses.