On the afternoon of 21/11, at the Party Central Committee Headquarters, General Secretary To Lam met with South Korean National Assembly Chairman Woo Won-shik. The General Secretary proposed that both sides expand cooperation, regularly exchange delegations across Party, state, government, and parliamentary channels, and promptly share views on bilateral cooperation as well as regional and international situations. This aims to deepen the Vietnam-South Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting, National Assembly Chairman Woo Won-shik specifically called for continued promotion of defense cooperation and joint efforts to combat transnational crime, with a particular focus on high-tech online fraud in the region. He also requested Vietnam to support and resolve difficulties for South Korean businesses, while creating favorable conditions for South Korean enterprises to participate in Vietnam's key projects. Chairman Woo Won-shik emphasized that South Korea consistently values its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam in implementing its foreign policy in the region and affirmed support for Vietnam in successfully hosting the APEC Summit 2027.

General Secretary To Lam urged South Korea to continue enhancing the capacity of Vietnamese businesses, enabling them to participate more deeply in the global supply chains of South Korean enterprises. This collaboration is crucial for achieving the bilateral trade turnover goal of 150 billion USD by 2030 in a balanced and sustainable manner. The General Secretary also proposed that both countries realize cooperation in science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation as new pillars in bilateral relations. This includes strengthening cooperation in human resource training and research and development of strategic technology sectors and products. Furthermore, he advocated for promoting collaboration to build core infrastructure such as: artificial intelligence (AI), next-generation networks, and data centers, and establishing legal and institutional frameworks to jointly advance into the digital era of AI.

General Secretary To Lam receives South Korean National Assembly Chairman Woo Won-shik. *Photo: Giang Huy*.

Additionally, General Secretary To Lam proposed expanding cooperation among friendship organizations and enhancing people-to-people exchanges. He called for attention and favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community to integrate, live, study, and work stably and long-term in South Korea. This support should extend to assisting Vietnamese expatriates in becoming South Korean national assembly members, simplifying visa procedures for Vietnamese citizens, and ultimately moving towards visa exemption for Vietnamese citizens.

On the afternoon of 21/11, President Luong Cuong also met with National Assembly Chairman Woo Won-shik at the Presidential Palace. The President expressed a desire for the legislative bodies of both countries to coordinate closely to create a legal framework, implement the substance of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and support the agreements and commitments of the two governments. President Luong Cuong also requested South Korea to pay attention and provide support for the Vietnamese community in South Korea to integrate, live, study, and work stably and long-term. He affirmed that Vietnam would create all favorable conditions for the South Korean community in Vietnam.

President Luong Cuong receives South Korean National Assembly Chairman Woo Won-shik. *Photo: Giang Huy*.

National Assembly Chairman Woo Won-shik conveyed his wish for Vietnam to support and resolve difficulties for South Korean businesses, creating favorable conditions for them to confidently invest long-term in Vietnam. He stated that he would coordinate with Vietnam's legislative body to assist the two governments in boosting bilateral cooperation across various fields, aligning with the interests of both peoples. Both leaders agreed to continue close cooperation and mutual support in regional and international forums of common interest, striving to promote a lasting peace process on the Korean Peninsula.

Nhu Tam